ponsorship. 



BilDaiuiai for 



LIBRARY OF CONGRESS. 

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Shelf JBsj% 

UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. 



SPONSORSHIP, 



The Divine Covenant and the Sponsor's 
Obligation Therein. 

a flfeanual 



OF COUNSEL AND INSTRUCTION FOR GOD- 
FATHERS AND GODMOTHERS. 



TO WHICH IS ADDED 



^k4 

A REGISTER 



FOR INSERTING THE NAMES AND OTHER MEMO- 
RANDA OF GODCHILDREN. 



REV. C. S. PERCIVAL, A. M. 



1 M 101882 « 

CLEVELAND, O.: yr r . J fj ^ 

W. W. WILLIAMS. 0/>. 

1882. S J£&¥M \\W& 



THE LIBRARY 
OF CONGRESS 

WASHINGTON 



Copyright, A. D. 1877 
By C. S. PERCIVAL. 



TABLE OF CONTENTS. 



PAGE. 

Introduction 9 

CHAPTER I. 

The Divine Covenant 17 

CHAPTER II. 
The Seal of the Covenant — Circumcision — Baptism 25 

CHAPTER III. 
The Mode of Baptism 39 

CHAPTER IV. 

The Design and Effect of Baptism 50 

CHAPTER V. 

The Subjects of Baptism 64 

CHAPTER VI. 

The Scripture Argument for Infant Baptism 70 

CHAPTER VII. 

The Historical Argument for Infant Baptism 80 

CHAPTER VIII. 
Sponsorship the Necessary Accompaniment of Infant 

Baptism 94 

CHAPTER IX. 

The Reasonableness of Sponsorship 99 

CHAPTER X. 
Confirmation the Legitimate End of the Sponsor's Obli- 
gation 106 

CHAPTER XI. 
The Propriety of Requiring that every Baptized Child 
shall have at least one Sponsor other than its Natural 
Parents 113 



CONTENTS. 



CHAPTER XII. 
The Duties of Sponsorship, and what the Church has suf- 



fered by their Neglect 119 

CHAPTER XIII. 
The Results which would follow the Universal Perform- 
ance of Sponsorial Duty 126 

CHAPTER XIV. 
Practical Suggestions to Sponsors 133 



Prayers for the use of Sponsors 143 

Thanksgivings 146 

Notes , . . „ 149 

Register . , 153 

Index to Register 203 



INTRODUCTION. 



It is now some fifteen years since I first 
conceived the idea of preparing a manual 
of instruction for the use of sponsors, in 
connection with a register for inserting the 
names and other memoranda of godchildren. 
On explaining my plan to several friends 
prominent in the Church (both bishops and 
presbyters) I was assured that such a book 
would be something quite as novel in Church 
literature as it might be made useful in 
Christian nurture; and I was warmly en- 
couraged to put my plan into execution. 
This I concluded to do; and, having re- 
solved to try the experiment of publishing 
by subscription, I issued a prospectus and 
distributed it among the clergy, asking for 
pledges to be sent to a Church book-seller 

9 



10 



INTRODUCTION. 



in Chicago, who had consented to act as 
my agent A goodly number of favorable 
responses were received; but before the 
work was ready for the press, the list was 
destroyed in the great fire, and the publica- 
tion was temporarily given up. The man- 
uscript, however, was completed soon 
after ; and as other cares, labors, and inter- 
ests supervened, it has lain neglected in its 
pigeon-hole till the present time. But 
now, the offer of a responsible publisher 
having called it from its hiding-place, it is 
placed in his hands, after a third careful 
revision, with the promise of being speedily 
put in type. 

A manual of any art or profession should 
aftord an answer to all the principal ques- 
tions which an inexperienced person 
desiring to learn it, would be likely to ask 
concerning it. And a register should not 
only contain suitable blanks for inserting 
all important memoranda of the subjects 
recorded, but it should also be of as durable 
a form as possible. Both these principles 
have been kept in view in the preparation of 
this book. In the first part the profession 



INTRODUCTION. 



II 



of sponsorship is explained, both in its 
theoretical and practical bearings, as fully 
as the necessary limits of a volume, designed 
to be brought within the easy reach of all 
classes of sponsors, would permit. And in 
the second, ample provision is made for 
entering, under appropriate heads, such a 
record of the principal events in the religious 
history of godchildren, as all faithful spon- 
sors must naturally wish to preserve for 
future reference. 

The design of sponsorship is to serve as 
a means, or at least as an aid, to bring chil- 
dren into covenant with God, and so to 
train them up in that blessed relation, that 
they will continue in the same unto their 
life's end. A complete manual of sponsor- 
ship, therefore, must embrace a consider- 
ation of the nature and intent of the divine 
covenant, of baptism, its seal under the 
new dispensation ; and of confirmation, the 
complement of baptism. Many of my 
observations upon these profound subjects 
will doubtless seem to my clerical brethren 
trite and common-place; but they will of 
course bear in mind that I am not writing for 



12 



INTRODUCTION. 



those who have made such themes a matter 
of life-long study. My book is not designed 
to afford instruction for the clergy, but to 
bring them practical aid in the performance 
of their sacred duties, by impressing upon 
the minds of the laity a deeper sense of the 
responsibility which rests upon them, as 
members of'the Church of Christ. And I 
shall consider the end of my labor in its 
preparation fully accomplished, if (to any 
considerable extent) it snail be found wor- 
thy of being recommended by the paro- 
chial ministry, to the carefui and devout 
use of the people under their charge. 

I announced, in the prospectus of my 
manual, that controverted points of doctrine 
would not be discussed in it. This state- 
ment of course had reference to doctrinal 
questions in regard to which there is more 
or less controversy within our own commun- 
ion: since it would be obviously impossible 
to make any statement of the views held 
by all classes of Episcopalians, concerning 
baptism and the relation of baptized chil- 
dren to the Church, without coming into 
direct collision with the views of several 



INTRODUCTION. 



other religious bodies. These bodies con- 
stitute one of the principal sources from 
which accessions to our communion are 
drawn. And if, in giving instruction to 
sponsors in the theory and practice of the 
sacred profession of sponsorship, I shall, at 
the same time, have furnished them with 
arguments with which to convince their 
non-Episcopal neighbors of the scriptural 
character of our beloved Church, I shall 
have added to my book an incidental value 
which no true Churchman will underesti- 
mate. 

So far as our own church is concerned, 
I trust it will be found that I have kept 
strictly within the limits of my pledge ; for 
although some of my statements may not 
be wholly satisfactory to a man of extreme 
views in either direction, yet I do not ap- 
prehend that any of them will be seriously 
faulted by those who accept, in whatever 
legitimate sense, the plain teachings of the 
Prayer Book. 

Sponsors who have been for many years 
prominent members of the congregations to 
which they severally belong, may not find 



14 



INTRODUCTION. 



spaces enough in the register for inserting 
the memoranda of all their godchildren. 
But those who have faithfully kept such a 
record for a few years, and at last found it 
too limited for their needs, will hardly be 
able to content themselves without procur- 
ing another, or else constructing one for 
themselves upon the same general plan. 

No one can appreciate more fully than 
myself the many deficiencies of this little 
book; but, such as it is, I offer it to the 
Church with the devout prayer that, by the 
blessing of God, it may accomplish at least 
some of the good which I ardently desire. 



SPONSORSHIP. 



SPONSORSHIP. 



CHAPTER I. 

THE DIVINE COVENANT. 

There is no idea more sublime in itself, 
or more ennobling to human nature, than 
that which represents the Deity as entering 
into covenant relations with men. That the 
infinite Creator should condescend to treat 
with His finite creatures, as a man treats 
with his fellow — that the Governor of the 
universe should enter into alliance with His 
rebellious subjects, binding Himself tp con- 
fer upon them, both in time and in eternity, 
the highest conceivable blessings, upon con- 
ditions at once the most reasonable and the 
most honorable — surely no other thought, 
within the range of human comprehension, 



18 



SPONSORSHIP. 



can be more exalted, or more exalting, than 
this. 

It is true that, to the unregenerate mind, 
this idea is not the most attractive ; but to 
the mind of the true believer it is full of 
comfort and delight. To one whose thoughts 
are engrossed by the cares and the objects of 
sense, it may seem vague and unreal; and 
yet it is in strict accordance with the dic- 
tates of natural, as well as of revealed, 
religion. 

If, as the religion of nature clearly 
teaches, there is an intelligent Creator and 
Governor of the universe, whose authority 
men ought to obey, though they have the 
ability to disobey it ; who makes known His 
existence and power by many irrefragable 
proofs, and who, while desiring the hap- 
piness of all, will certainly punish the dis- 
obedient and reward the obedient; and if, 
as human experience declares, the soul, 
conscious of sin, instinctively yearns for 
some reliable assurance (which none but 
God can give) that His love and favor, lost 
by transgression, may be regained by re- 
pentance — then must it be reasonable to 



SPONSORSHIP. 



19 



suppose that God, by offering to the fallen 
and penitent terms of pardon and recon- 
ciliation, should make a covenant with them. 

And what the voice of nature thus de- 
clares to be probable, the voice of inspira- 
tion pronounces certain. That God enters 
into formal covenant with men, is the great 
germinal fact of revelation. Even the 
facts of the incarnation and of the atone- 
ment are the natural outgrowth of this, as 
the blossom is developed from the bud, or 
the fruit from the blossom. Blot out from 
the Bible all allusions, direct and indirect, 
to this momentous truth, and all the rest 
would be utterly without value, if not with- 
out meaning. If God had not revealed 
Himself as a "covenant-keeping God," all 
else that He has revealed would have been 
insufficient to afford mortal and sinful men 
any ground of hope. 

Nor are we to understand that the Divine 
covenant refers to the human race simply 
as a whole; that after the apostasy of Adam, 
God saw fit to reveal to the race His deter- 
mination to provide for them a Saviour, 
and His willingness to forgive and receive 



20 



SPONSORSHIP. 



into favor all those who would accept His 
salvation in faith, penitence and obedience, 
and that His simple promise to do this con- 
stitutes all there is in His covenant with 
men. Clearly as a revelation, proceeding 
no further than this, would have exhibited 
the mercy of God, it would not have satis- 
fied the natural longing of any penitent 
soul, nor served as a sufficient incentive to 
awaken the impenitent from the lethargy 
in which sin had bound them. No con- 
scious sinner that had been led to desire 
and seek for the mercy of God, could ever 
rest content without some tangible assur- 
ance that God had made over to him that 
mercy, by a direct personal guaranty. He 
would as much expect to receive from God 
a formal assurance of pardon, as to make 
to Him a formal acknowledgment of repent- 
ance and pledge of obedience. Such an 
assurance a general revelation of God's 
mercy toward men could not of itself sup- 
ply. This general revelation God did make 
to the fallen pair in Eden, and if that had 
been sufficient for the restoration of men, 
doubtless no other would ever have been 



SPONSORSHIP. 21 

made. Nor would a general promise of 
the divine mercy have constituted a proper 
covenant at all. In the nature of things a 
literal covenant must always bind two par- 
ties, the one offering and the other accept- 
ing its terms, or else both parties mutually 
stipulating and agreeing. If one person 
make an unconditional promise to another, 
no matter by what solemn obligation the 
former may bind himself, his promise can- 
not be considered a literal covenant, since 
the two parties do not, as the word implies, 
come together in mutual stipulation and 
agreement. 

Hence God's promise to Noah (Genesis 
ix : 11) that the waters should "no more 
become a flood to destroy all flesh," is 
called a " covenant " rather in a metaphori- 
cal than in the literal sense of that word. 
Since the promise was without conditions, 
and man had nothing whatever to. do, either 
in causing it to be made or in securing its 
fulfillment, there was not that coming to- 
gether of two parties, which constitutes a 
literal covenant. 

But when God said to Abraham, (Genesis 



22 



SPONSORSHIP. 



XVII : 2) "I will make my covenant be- 
tween me and thee," although the same 
word is employed, it is obvious, from the 
context, that it is used in a very different 
sense. For in the verse immediately pre- 
ceding there is found this stipulation: 
"Walk before me and be thou perfect. ,, 
And a little further on it is required, as a 
token of the covenant/' that "every 
man-child among you shall be circumcised." 
And this requirement was coupled with the 
following condition : "The uncircumcised 
man-child shall be cut off from his people" 
— that is, as Bishop Patrick interprets it, 
"he shall not be accounted one of God's 
people" — for (Jehovah proceeds to say) 
"he hath broken my covenant;" which 
doubtless means the same as if God had 
said, "he hath refused to ratify my cove- 
nant." 

Here, then, we have certain conditions on 
the part of the Almighty, and their volun- 
tary acceptance on the part of man ; neither 
of which marks characterized the Noachian 
"covenant," so-called. But the difference 
in the form of these two promises is not 



SPONSORSHIP. 



23 



greater than the difference in the subjects 
to which they relate. The promise made 
to Noah referred to certain temporal bless- 
ings, which were to descend upon the whole 
race — good and bad together ; that promise 
therefore was unconditional, since man had 
nothing to do with its fulfillment. But the 
promise made to Abraham, while it em- 
braced the temporal advantages which God 
designed to bestow upon the Hebrew na- 
tion, related more especially to the spiritual 
blessings which the faithful only were to 
enjoy "with faithful Abraham." From 
their very nature these blessings could not 
be unconditionally bestowed. Hence the 
very proposal to bestow them involved the 
idea of a veritable covenant between God 
and man. 

And as this covenant was made and 
ratified at the first between God and a 
single individual of our race, so has it been 
ever since and so it is at the present hour. 
Not more certain is it that God entered in- 
to covenant relations with Abraham as an 
individual, than that he did the same with 
you and me, my Christian brother, when 



24 



SPONSORSHIP. 



the vows and promises of our holy religion 
were voluntarily assumed by ourselves, or 
laid upon us by the legitimate authority of 
parents and sponsors in the Church of 
Christ. And this covenant is as real and 
its obligations are as binding, as if God had 
come to each of us in person, as He did to 
Abraham, and with an audible voice, had 
offered us certain favors upon specified con- 
ditions, which we voluntarily accepted and 
solemnly bound ourselves to perform. God 
actually did this through the ministry of 
the Church, which is His representative in 
the world, and the covenant therein trans- 
mitted from Abraham to us, is just as bind- 
ing upon us as it was upon him. 

If these things are so (which surely no 
Christian will deny) "what manner of per- 
sons ought we to be, in all holy conversa- 
tion and godliness!" 



CHAPTER II. 

THE SEAL OF THE COVENANT.— CIRCUMCISION.— 
BAPTISM. 

I stated in the preceding chapter, that 
the first requisite to the existence of 
a real covenant, is that it shall bind two 
parties coming together in mutual and vol- 
untary agreement. There is one other 
requisite, of equal necessity and universal- 
ity, viz : a sign or seal which both parties 
to the covenant shall recognize as a symbol 
of its binding force. Since the world 
began there was never a covenant made — 
nor, in fact, a mutual compact or agree- 
ment of any sort — between two parties, 
without the employment of such a symbol. 
Every written covenant contains a seal, with- 
out which the instrument is invalid — or else 
the signature of the parties becomes (as the 
word implies) a sign of their good faith. 
And if a covenant, in certain cases, can be 
made binding without formal seal or writ- 



26 



SPONSORSHIP. 



ten signatures, it certainly never can be 
without some outward sign of the inward 
intention of the parties. When two friends 
pledge to each other their mutual fidelity, 
the joining of hands is a visible symbol of 
that spiritual union which they therein bind 
themselves to maintain ; and if their union 
be that which is cemented by conjugal love, 
the ring of gold, "given and received/' is 
declared to be "a token and pledge of the 
covenant betwixt them made," — the sign 
of its purity and the seal of its perpetuity. 
These may be taken as specimens of the 
various ways in which all human com- 
pacts, without exception, are "signed and 
sealed. " 

Doubtless there exists, in the nature of 
man, some deep necessity for this universal 
use of seals in the ratification of covenants. 
Man being composed of soul and body — 
spirit and matter — existing together in a 
union indissoluble except by death, every 
action of his must partake of his twofold 
nature. There can be no voluntary phys- 
ical movement without the intervention of 
the spirit ; nor can the spirit manifest any 



SPONSORSHIP. 



27 



of its motions but by the intervention of the 
body. The making of covenants, the 
pledging of mutual fidelity between man 
and man, are mental acts which, like all 
other motions of the spirit, require some 
physical manifestation, not only to make 
them known, but also to give them a perma- 
nent memorial. For this purpose the lan- 
guage of symbols — of signs and seals — is 
joined to that of speech and writing (which 
are themselves symbolical,) not only for its 
greater permanence, but also for its impres- 
siveness and universal significance. 

It may be, therefore, that when God 
would make a covenant with man, there 
existed in the nature of things a necessity 
that He should appoint a seal in which man 
could recognize the plighted ' faith of the 
Almighty. But even if the use of seals 
were an arbitrary custom, God would cer- 
tainly adopt, in such a case, the language 
which man had found most conducive to 
his own convenience. We find, in fact, 
that not only the actual covenants which 
God made with men, but also the promises 
of blessings, whether general or particular, 



28 



SPONSORSHIP. 



which by revelation He made known to 
them, He condescended to certify by the 
appointment of some visible signs as tokens 
of His fidelity. 

His first promise of a Saviour was given 
to the race, through Adam and Eve, im- 
mediately after the fall. And as animal 
sacrifices were appointed at the same time 
(doubtless by divine authority, although 
there is no record of the fact) it seems but 
reasonable to suppose that they were de- 
signed not only as a type of the atone- 
ment, but also as a seal of the divine 
promise. When, in the ' ' Noachian coven- 
ant, " God promised never again to destroy 
the world by a flood, He appointed the 
rainbow as a " token of the covenant,'' and 
a sign of His compassion toward men. 
The blood of the paschal lamb, sprinkled 
upon the lintel and the two side-posts of the 
door, in every Hebrew dwelling, on the 
night of the departure from Egypt, was a 
sign of God's promise to His people that 
the destroying angel should pass over them, 
and also of their faith in the divine word. 

To these examples many others might 



SPONSORSHIP. 



2 9 



be added (such as the sun standing still up- 
on Gibeon, the shadow going ten degrees 
backward on the dial of Ahaz, and the 
fleece miraculously bedewed on the floor 
of Gideon) all showing how God, when he 
made revelation of any promised blessing 
to men, condescended to assure them of the 
same, by giving them some token which 
they would recognize as the seal of His 
promise. How much more would he do 
this when he purposed to take men into 
alliance with Himself, by making a cove- 
nant with them? There must, however, 
naturally be this difference between a mere 
pledge for the fulfillment of a promise, and 
the seal of a veritable covenant : The lat- 
ter is a pledge of mutual fidelity ; while 
the former is a token only of his who made 
the promise. 

As the Abrahamic covenant was an actual 
coming together of God and man in mutual 
stipulation or agreement, so circumcision, 
the seal of that covenant, was a sign of the 
mutual fidelity of the parties making the 
compact. That it was a sign of God's, 
faithfulness to Abraham and his descend- 



3o 



SPONSORSHIP. 



ants is too obvious to admit of a doubt. 
In proposing to ratify this covenant, God 
Himself declared (Genesis xvn : 7) : "I 
will establish my covenant between me and 
thee, and thy seed after thee, in their gen- 
erations, for an everlasting covenant, to be 
a God unto thee and to thy seed after thee." 
And in proposing the seal of the covenant, 
He said: "Ye shall circumcise the flesh 
of your foreskin, and it shall be a token 
of the covenant betwixt me and you." 
That God intended this as a visible pledge 
of his fidelity to Abraham, and that the 
latter received it as such, must be evident 
to all. 

That it was also intended and received as 
a token of Abraham's fidelity to God, is 
equally obvious. The execution of all com- 
pacts proceeds upon the supposition of the 
mutual good faith of the parties. If Abra- 
ham had not intended to bind himself and 
his posterity to the imposed condition of 
walking uprightly before God, he would 
not have dared to insult Jehovah by pre- » 
tending to ratify the covenant — nor would 
^the All-seeing One, acting miraculously 



SPONSORSHIP. 



31 



without the intervention of any appointed 
minister, have permitted him to perform so 
hypocritical and sacrilegious an act. It is 
declared of him (Genesis XV: 6,) that, long 
before his circumcision, "he believed in the 
Lord ; and He counted it to him for right- 
eousness." And St. Paul, commenting upon 
this passage, says (Romans IV: 11,) that 
"he received the sign of circumcision, the 
seal of the righteousness of the faith which 
he had, yet being uncircumcised." And as 
the idea of faithfulness can never be sepa- 
rated from that of religious faith, we are war- 
ranted in saying that circumcision was as 
much a token of Abraham's fidelity to 
God, as of God's to Abraham. 

In ancient times the custom was well- 
nigh universal of sealing oaths and cove- 
nants in blood, taken sometimes from the 
body of a slain animal, and sometimes from 
that of the person making the vow. This 
custom may have had its origin in that of 
animal sacrifices which, as I have already 
hinted, was doubtless designed as the seal 
of God's first promise to fallen men. In 
those early times, also, before God's revela- 



32 



SPONSORSHIP. 



tion to men was complete, while His pur- 
poses for their redemption were, so to 
speak, in process of crystallization, and 
while His communications with men were 
all of a miraculous nature, His servants 
would naturally crave some more sensible 
and permanent marks of His intervention 
than would be looked for after the order of 
revelation was finished, and the Divine 
Kingdom on earth had been fully estab- 
lished. 

These facts, together with the striking 
symbolism hinted at in the collect for the 
Festival of the Circumcision of Christ, suf- 
ficiently explain the appointment of circum- 
cision — a religious rite which, to the eyes 
of the intelligent believer, presents much 
beauty, propriety, and significance that are, 
of course, hidden from wilful ignorance 
and scoffing infidelity. 

All that circumcision was under the 
Jew T ish dispensation, baptism is (and more) 
under the Christian dispensation. The old 
covenant, made with Abraham and his de- 
sendants, gave place to the new covenant 
made with Christ and His Church ; and as 



SPONSORSHIP. 



33 



circumcision was the seal of the former, 
baptism is of the latter. The old cove- 
nant, however, did not expire ; but simply 
took on a new form of life under the new 
dispensation. Not more certain is it that 
the same life that puts forth its vigor in the 
oak existed beforehand in the acorn, than 
that the covenant which now binds us to 
God in Christ, is vitally the same as that 
which bound the Hebrew to Jehovah. 

That there was to be a renewal of the 
covenant, under another form and dispen- 
sation, is directly asserted by the prophets, 
Jeremiah, Ezekiel and Malachi; and that 
their prophecies, in this relation, refer to 
the coming of Christ, St. Paul, in his Epis- 
tle to the Hebrews, clearly shows. But 
the same Apostle shows, quite as clearly, 
that "the righteousness which is of faith' ' 
was just as distinctly pledged to God by 
those who bound themselves to His service 
under the old covenant, as under the new.* 
While, therelore, the form of the cove- 
nant was changed, its spirit remained the 
same. 



*See Note A. 



34 



SPONSORSHIP. 



That a change in the seal of the cove- 
nant should take place along with its change 
of form, is no more than what, upon gen- 
eral principles, we might reasonably ex- 
pect. But there were two especial reasons 
for the discontinuance of circumcision as 
soon as the Church of Christ was fully es- 
tablished. 

In the first place, animal sacrifices, the 
seal of God's promise of a Saviour, were to 
be done away as soon as He, their great 
Antitype, had come and laid down His 
life for the sins of the world. It was un- 
fitting, therefore, that the divine covenant 
should continue to be sealed in blood, after 
the whole sacrificial system (of which that 
bloody seal was the natural outgrowth) had 
been abolished. 

In the second place, the covenant was 
no longer to be confined to a single nation. 
The promise that in the seed of Abraham 
all the nations of the earth should be blessed, 
was to be fulfilled in Christ. The dis- 
tinction between Jew and Gentile was to 
be annulled, and all were to be one in Him. 
Under the old covenant none could be for- 



SPONSOPSHIP. 



35 



mally admitted into the Church without 
becoming identified with the Jewish nation. 
But when "the Desire of all nations" had 
come, every nation of the earth, without 
losing its individual identity, was to be 
admitted into membership with the Church 
Catholic which he came to establish. It 
was not, therefore, in the nature of things 
that the exclusive mark of circumcision 
should be retained under a system so com- 
prehensive as that. 

We accordingly find that, although bap- 
tism was, by the command of Christ, 
adopted as of universal obligation before 
the practice of circumcision went into com- 
plete disuse, yet the latter was gradually 
given up as Jewish prejudice subsided, and 
the former alone occupied its place. It is 
true there is no direct statement of Christ 
or of His Apostles (unless that remarkable 
passage in Colossians n: 11-12, may be so 
regarded) declaring that baptism was to 
take the place of circumcision as the seal of 
the covenant ; but that the first Christians 
considered it as actually taking that place, 
is obvious from many declarations of the 



36 



SPONSORSHIP. 



earliest Christian writers, after the Apostles, 
and from the fact that one of the earliest 
controversies in the Church arose from the 
doubts entertained by some, whether chil- 
dren could properly be baptized before the 
eighth day — the day upon which infants 
were circumcised among the Jews. This 
controversy was settled by a council 
held at Carthage, A. D. 250 — the decision 
being that infants should be baptized at 
the earliest day convenient after their birth ; 
but the fact that any were of the opinion 
that their baptism should be deferred to the 
eighth day, is a presumptive proof that, in 
the estimation of all, baptism took the 
place of circumcision. Mr. Wall, in his 
History of Infant Baptism, quotes from sev- 
eral of the early fathers, showing that such 
was the general belief. 

That baptism was from the first regarded 
as the seal of the new covenant, is clearly 
shown by the fact that the name, seal, was 
one of the earliest and commonest applied 
by the Church to that sacred ordinance. 
But if this had not been the case, yet, as 
there was the same necessity for a seal to 



SPONSORSHIP. 



37 



fhe new covenant as to the old, and as 
baptism fulfilled all the conditions of a 
seal — which nothing else could be said to 
do — we should be fully justified in calling 
that sacrament (as nearly all Christians do) 
"the seal of the covenant." 

Of the inherent fitness of baptism to 
occupy the place it does under the Chris- 
tian dispensation, I have space only for a 
word. That, however, will suffice for so 
plain a topic. 

Water, which cleanses all things, is the 
natural symbol of purity. In the legal 
purifications which were practiced under 
the Jewish dispensation, it had been em- 
ployed as such a symbol, from the earliest 
times. The baptism of proselytes and 
their children was a rite which had long 
been known among the Jews, and had 
paved the way for the baptism of John, as 
that did for the baptism of Christ. When, 
therefore, according to -the appointment of 
God, the blood of Christ u which cleanses 
from all sin," had been shed upon the cross, 
and the blood of sacrifices in His Church 
had ceased to flow — when the ritual puri- 



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fications prescribed by the law of Moses 
had been discontinued, and circumcision as 
the seal of the covenant had been set aside 
— what other type so appropriate could the 
Church have retained to mark the initiation 
of her members, as that of baptism ? When 
in the new covenant her children bound 
themselves and their offspring to a life of 
purity and holiness, what more fitting rite 
could have been adopted for the seal of 
the covenant, than that the subjects of that 
"holy vow should be dipped or washed in 
pure water? 

In that sacred ordinance we who have 
been baptized, whether in infancy or adult 
years, took upon ourselves the covenant of 
Christ. Let us never forget the high and 
solemn significance of the act, nor for one 
moment waver in the allegiance which we 
then vowed to the great Captain of our 
salvation — Jesus Christ, our blessed Saviour 
and Redeemer. 



CHAPTER III. 



THE MODE OF BAPTISM. 

In regard to the mode of administering 
the ordinance of baptism there are, so far 
as I am aware, hut two theories. The first 
is this: That the application of water in the 
name of the Holy Trinity, in any manner 
— whether by pouring or sprinkling it upon 
the subject, or by immersing the subject 
therein — constitutes valid baptism. The 
second is this: that there can be no proper 
baptism except by immersing (or submerg- 
ing) the subject completely in water. The 
former theory is held by a vast majority, 
even of Protestant Christians ; the latter 
only by the various religious bodies that 
take the name of Baptists— although Im- 
mersionists would be a much more descrip- 
tive appellation; and, according to their 
theory, one equally honorable. 

The theory that valid baptism can be 

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administered only by immersion, is based 
mainly upon two assumptions — first, that 
no other mode was practiced by the Apos- 
tles; and second, that the word baptize 
necessarily means to immerse. The for- 
mer of these assumptions can never be 
proved, and the latter can easily be dis- 
proved. 

In no instance of baptism by the Apos- 
tles is the mode even hinted at. That 
John the Baptist and Philip the Deacon 
baptized by immersion, is assumed by the 
Baptists, because it is said in the sacred 
record, that the persons baptized by them 
went down into the water. But the same 
preposition would have been used in Greek, 
if it had been true that they went only to 
the water. And even if it be admitted 
that they went into the water, it by no 
means necessarily follows that they were 
completely submerged therein. 

On the other hand, in several instances 
of baptism by the Apostles, it is highly im- 
probable that the subjects were immersed. 
When the jailor at Phihppi, having been 
converted at midnight by the miracle of his 



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prisoners' release, and the instruction of 
Paul and Silas, (Acts xvi : 33) "took them 
the same hour of the night, and washed 
their stripes and was baptized, he and all 
his, straightway," it certainly seems im- 
probable that there should have been con- 
veniences at hand for immersing them all, 
on so sudden an emergency. And when, 
on the Day of Pentecost, three thousand 
were baptized by the eleven, in the course 
of a few hours, it is perhaps still more im- 
probable that the rite was administered by 
immersion. 

But whatever may be said about the 
possibilities, in these and other cases, it 
certainly can never be proved that the mode 
of baptism employed was immersion, unless 
it can be shown that the word baptize 
necessarily means to immerse. And this, 
as I have said, can easily be disproved. 

That the word baptize, as used in the 
classics, does not necessarily, or even pri- 
marily, mean to immerse completely in a 
fluid, the merest tyro in Greek very well 
knows. When he reads, in the Greek My- 
thology, that Hercules dipped (baptized) 



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his arrows in the blood of the Lernaean 
Hydra — and when, in the second Book of 
Xenophon's Anabasis, he reads that the 
soldiers of Cyrus, on a certain occasion, 
ratified an oath by dipping (baptizing) 
their spears in blood contained in the hol- 
low of a shield — he knows very well that 
the weapons could not have been com- 
pletely immersed in the liquid. Only the 
points were wet, and yet the weapons are 
said to have been baptized — and the word 
is evidently used in its original sense. 

It is true that, in these cases, the objects 
were moved toward the liquid, and not the 
liquid toward the objects. But it would 
be foolish to assert that, in either case, the 
dipping was essential to the validity of the 
act. The soldiers must have understood 
that the only essential thing in the cere- 
mony, was the wetting of the points — the 
effective parts — of the weapons in the 
blood. If, therefore, in the spirit of true 
and honest loyalty to their commander 
they had thought it more convenient to 
apply the blood to their spear points in 
some other way than by dipping them in it,. 



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how absurd would it have been to accuse 
them of refusing to ratify their oaths ! But 
not a whit more absurd than to charge hon- 
est and intelligent Christians, whose heads 
have been wet with baptismal water in the 
name of the Holy Trinity, with refusing to 
ratify their covenant with their Maker, or 
with violating one of the essential com- 
mands of the "Captain of their Salvation/' 
because their heads, and even their whole 
bodies, have, not been dipped in that sym- 
bolic element! 

Nor is it in the classics alone, but also in 
the New Testament itself, that we find un- 
answerable proof that the word baptism 
may mean something very different from 
immersion. In the seventh chapter of St. 
Mark we are informed that, among other 
ceremonial traditions to which the Jews 
held, was that of the frequent ' 'washing of 
tables." The word rendered tables means 
literally the couches on which they were 
accustomed to recline at table; and the 
word rendered washing is, in the original, 
baptism. To assert that the Jews had the 
custom of immersing their couches, would 



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be preposterous. Evidently, as Bishop 
Randall has shown, these washings refer to 
the ceremonial purifications which were 
made after some supposed legal defile- 
ments. And we know that such purifica- 
tions were ordinarily performed by sprink- 
ling. This, therefore, is undoubtedly the 
meaning of the word baptize, in the pas- 
sage under consideration. How absurd, 
then, to charge it upon Christians who con- 
sider sprinkling or pouring as valid baptism, 
that they have departed from the original 
sense of Scripture ! 

But although it cannot be proved from 
the Scripture narrative, that immersion 
was the original mode of baptizing — and 
although the original word is so far from 
necessitating that mode, that in one of its 
uses it seems to favor sprinkling (which is 
certainly more in accordance with the anal- 
ogy of the Mosaic purifications), still we 
freely admit the fact, that immersion was 
the usual practice in the times immediately 
succeeding that of the Apostles. If it be 
claimed that this fact affords strong reason 
for believing that immersion was practiced 



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by the Apostles, we gran* it. But there is 
another fact quite as susceptible of proof as 
this — viz: that in the same age of the 
Church, baptism was administered by 
sprinkling or pouring, in certain exceptional 
cases, without any question of its validity. 

Bingham, who admits, in his ' ' Christian 
Antiquities,'' that 4 'no deviation [from the 
practice of immersion] was made in ordi- 
nary cases," states that " in sickness and ex- 
treme danger of life, " and also "in cases 
where sufficient water could not be pro- 
cured, as when a martyr in prison was to be 
baptized, or to baptize others — baptism by 
aspersion or sprinkling was then allowed." 
And he cites the writings of Cyril, in the 
fourth century, to prove "that its lawful- 
ness or validity was never disputed." 

Now if the other fact is a strong pfoof 
that the Apostles baptized by immersion, 
this is a proof equally strong that they also 
baptized by sprinkling, — or, at least, that 
they did not hold the manner essential. 
For it is inconceivable that those whom the 
Apostles had taught would have ventured 
to change the mode, unless they knew that , 



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their inspired teachers regarded it as non- 
essential. This is all we claim. And the 
Church having sanctioned both modes, we 
preter that which is never dangerous nor 
burdensome, which can never violate pro- 
priety or decency, and which is equally 
suited to all conceivable times, places, and 
circumstances. 

We see, from these considerations, how 
wise our translators were in adopting the 
word baptize, instead of translating it, 
whenever it refers to the sacrament of bap- 
tism. For no specific term in English 
could be found which would be true to all 
the meanings of the original word ; and to 
translate it by any one of them would be 
to make the essence of a sacrament con- 
sist in the mode of its administration. 

But even if it were true, as those who 
hold exclusively to immersion assert, that 
the primary and literal meaning of the word 
baptise is to immerse, and that the ordi- 
nance of baptism was originally adminis- 
tered in that mode; they would still convict 
themselves of a grave inconsistency, by re- 
garding it as an ecclesiastical fault to ignore 



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in theory the original meaning of the name, 
and neglect in practice the original mode; 
for in their administration of the other sac- 
rament, the Lord's Supper, they have done 
precisely the same thing. 

We know that when the Lord's Supper 
was originally instituted, it was adminis- 
tered by Christ to His disciples reclining at 
table upon couches. We know that the 
bread used was unleavened, and that it was 
eaten by males only, in immediate con- 
nection with a repast consisting of a roasted 
lamb and bitter herbs, We know also that 
the word supper, in its original meaning, 
implies a full meal taken at evening. Now 
what trace of this original institution would 
a literalist detect in the ordinary mode of 
receiving the communion among the Bap- 
tists? A morsel of common bread, and a 
sip of wine, taken in the forenoon — is that 
a "supper," like the Hebrew passover? A 
company of men and women together, re- 
ceiving these elements without the Paschal 
accompaniments, and in a sitting posture — 
is this in accordance with the original mode? 
But surely the sacrament of the Lord's 



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Supper is quite as sacred as that of bap- 
tism; and the obligation to adhere to the 
original form of administration is as bind- 
ing in the one case as in the other. If, 
therefore, the Baptists are correct in their 
views as to the original institution of bap- 
tism, other Christians have just as much 
right to change that institution for the sake 
of convenience, as they have to do the 
same thing in perpetuating their memorial 
of the Lord's Supper. 

If it be said, in allusion to Romans VI : 4, 
that the figure of being buried and raised 
again with Christ in baptism must be pre- 
served, I reply, that when a person has 
knelt at the chancel-rail, received the water 
of the font sprinkled or poured upon him, 
and again risen to his feet, there has been 
exhibited a better representation of burial 
and resurrection, than when he has been 
sunk in the water and again elevated from 
it. For when a man is buried in the 
ground, the earth does not recede of its 
own accord and then close over him again 
like a fluid ; but the body is first lowered 
into the grave, then the earth is cast upon it 



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These obvious suggestions ought to pre- 
vent any Churchman from being disturbed 
by the arguments of those who have suc- 
ceeded in building up a numerous sect upon 
a slighter foundation than ever before 
supported so extensive and questionable a 
superstructure. 



i 



CHAPTER IV. 

THE DESIGN AND EFFECT OF BAPTISM. 

As , shown in Chapter II, the primary and 
most obvious design of baptism is to take 
the place of circumcision as the seal of the 
covenant. A very correct idea, therefore, 
as far as it goes, of the effect of baptism, 
may be found by considering the uses of a 
seal attached to any agreement or compact 
between man and man. The seal of any 
instrument is a pledge and representative 
of all the benefits which the instrument is 
designed to convey. Is it a deed of prop- 
erty? The seal represents the transfer of 
the lands, houses, or other goods thereby 
conveyed to their new proprietor. Is it a 
deed of amnesty made by a sovereign to a 
political offender, on his taking the oath of 
allegiance? The seal represents the pardon, 
protection, and restoration to civil rights, 
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extended by the government to its erring 
but repentant subject. 

And so baptism, the seal of the Divine 
covenant, represents to men all the bless- 
ings promised therein. It represents, first, 
the pardon or remission of sins — whether 
actually committed, as in the case of adults, 
or inherited in the sinful nature of Adam, 
as in the case of infants. When at the 
preaching of St. Peter, on the first Whit- 
sunday the multitude "were pricked in 
their heart and said, men and brethren what 
shall we do?" The Apostle replied, 
"Repent and be baptized every one of you 
in the name of Jesus Christ for the remis- 
sion of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of 
the Holy Ghost." (Acts 11 : 38.) 

Here the sense naturally connects the 
phrase, ' 'for the remission of sins," with 
"be baptized," since we are not required to 
repent in the name of Jesus Christ. If the 
remission of sins were made dependent 
mainly upon repentance, as some have 
claimed, this verse would have been made 
to read : Repent, every one of you, for 
the remission of sins, and be baptized in 



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the name of Jesus Christ, and ye shall 
receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. But, 
as the passage stands, it is entirely harmo- 
nious with another (Acts XXII : 16), where 
we are informed that, after Saul of Tarsus 
had believed, repented and prayed for for- 
giveness, Ananias said to him, "Arise and 
be baptized and wash away thy sins, calling 
on the name of the Lord " — that is, mak- 
ing a profession of faith in Christ. 

These, and other passages of similar im- 
port, are condensed into the tenth article 
of the Nicene creed : "I acknowledge one 
baptism for the remission of sins." What- 
ever, therefore, may be said about the pos- 
sibility of ultimate pardon without baptism, 
in any particular case, it is certain that, in 
this present life, there can be no formal 
pledge of pardon without the reception of 
that divinely appointed ordinance. And 
since that great benefit is always repre- 
sented as accompanying the right reception 
of the sacrament, we are warranted in say- 
ing that covenanted pardon is one of the ef- 
fects or results of baptism. 

Another effect of baptism is that " change 



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of nature" — or that " transition from a state 
of nature to a state of grace" — or that 
" change in the relation of the baptized to 
Christ and His kingdom" (for all these 
phrases have been used by different writers 
to describe it) — which, in the baptismal of- 
fice, is called "regeneration." 

The " declaration" of the American bish- 
ops, "signed in council" during the gen- 
eral convention of 1871 — to the effect 
that "the word 'regenerate' in the Office 
for the Ministration of Baptism of Infants, 
is not there so used as to determine that a 
moral change in the subject of baptism is 
wrought in the sacrament' ' — was evidently 
designed to encourage a generous tolera- 
tion of differences of opinion in regard to 
the meaning of the word referred to. I 
shall not, therefore, enter into any con- 
troversy as to the precise nature of the in- 
ternal spiritual change which is commonly 
supposed to be implied in that much-dis- 
cussed, much-abused, and much-misunder- 
stood term ; nor shall 1 1 consider the pro- 
priety of expunging it from the offices, or 
of inserting some alternate phrase which, 



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when desired, can be used in its place; 
With regard to all these questions every 
Churchman has a right to his own opinions; 
none of which is it the object of this chap- 
ter to controvert. But I would fain do 
something, however little, toward so far 
divesting this subject of the confusion of 
thought which largely envelopes it, that 
those who have been baptized may clearly 
apprehend the relation into which they 
have thereby been brought to Christ and 
the Church; and that those who promised 
for others in baptism may better under- 
stand their duty as sponsors, in the relig- 
ious training of their godchildren. It 
may aid to dissipate this confusion of 
thought in reference to regeneration, or the 
change produced in baptism, if we first 
settle distinctly in our own minds what is 
not embraced in it. 

Let it then be remembered that faith and 
repentance constitute no part of this change. 
These must precede baptism, either intelli- 
gently exercised by the subject, or pledged 
in his behalf by those whom the Church 
authorizes to answer for him. Baptism is 



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the seal of these religious affections ; but it 
has no more to do in producing them, than 
the wax applied to a deed has to do in 
causing the stipulations contained in it. 

Nor does regeneration embrace that 
change of heart and life which is properly 
called conversion or renovation. This last 
mentioned change may precede or follow 
baptism, and may be repeated many times 
in the course of a man's life. Nay, it must 
be repeated as often as a man falls into sin, 
or he can never regain the favor of God, 
forfeited by transgression. David was 
doubtless regenerate (perhaps in the same 
sense in which the Prayer Book uses that 
term) at the time of his circumcision; for it 
was then that his relation to God's spirit- 
ual kingdom was changed. And no one 
can doubt that in the main, he led ' 'the 
rest of his life according to that beginning.' ' 
For, on coming to maturity, he received 
that highest encomium ever bestowed upon 
a mortal, viz : that he was < 'a man after 
God's own heart." Yet long after this, 
having become penitent for a grievous sin, 
he utters that imploring petition contained 



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in Psalms, LI: i 'Create in me a clean heart, 
O God, and renew a right spirit within me." 
There can hardly be a more palpable the- ' 
ological error, therefore, than the one so 
prevalent among many Christian people 
now-a-days, viz : that of confounding regen- 
eration and conversion. It would not be 
surprising if it should be found, upon thor- 
ough examination, that a great part, if not 
the whole, of the confusion of ideas to 
which I have alluded, has grown out of this 
one germinal error. 

But, once more, let it be remembered 
that regeneration does not embrace sancti- 
fication. The former is the entrance upon 
the Christian course ; the latter is the state 
of holiness to which it leads. But the soul 
may desert the way of life before that final 
consummation is reached. Regeneration 
is the ' 'seed sown;" sanctification is the 
"full grown corn in the ear." But the 
drouth, the storm, the predatory bird may 
prevent the ripening of the precious grain. 
Regeneration is instantaneous, and has no 
necessary connection with the exercise of 
the subject's will: Sanctification is a 



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gradual change produced by a constant and 
earnest striving "to enter in at the strait 
gate." Regeneration may result from an- 
other's act; but sanctification is produced, 
if at all, by the conscious exercise of the 
subject's own individual powers, in con- 
junction with the promised influences of the 
Holy Spirit. We see, therefore, that to 
confound regeneration and sanctification 
would be as serious an error as that which 
makes no distinction between regeneration 
and conversion. 

What, then, is the change produced in 
baptism ? Let the words of the Catechism 
first reply. When the child is asked, 
"Who gave you this name?" he is taught 
to answer: "My sponsors in baptism, 
wherein I was made a member of Christ, 
the child of God, and an inheritor of the 
kingdom of Heaven." And when he is 
asked, "What is the inward and spiritual 
grace" of baptism? — he is instructed to re- 
ply: "A death unto sin and a new birth 
[or regeneration] unto righteousness; for 
being by nature born in sin, and the chil- 
dren of wrath, we are hereby made the 



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children of grace." Then let us listen 
to the words of the baptismal office, 
omitting (for the sake of the argument 
a fortiori) the word regenerate, which 
is several times repeated. Immediately 
after the words of administration the 
minister says: "We receive this child 
into the congregation of Christ's flock;" 
and, directly afterward, he declares that 
the child is "grafted into the body of 
Christ's Church." And then, in the final 
prayer, he returns thanks in these words: 
" We yield Thee hearty thanks, most merci- 
ful Father, that it hath pleased Thee to re- 
ceive this infant for Thine own child by 
adoption, and to incorporate him into Thy 
holy Church." 

Strong as this language is, it is by no 
means stronger than that of Holy Writ, 
from which, in substance, it is borrowed. 
"As many of you," says St. Paul to the Gal- 
atians, (111:27,) "as have been baptized 
into Christ, have put on Christ." And the 
same Apostle says, in his First Epistle to 
the Corinthians (XII : 1 3) : " By one Spirit 
we are all baptized into one body." To 



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put on Christ, that we may be clothed in 
His righteousness — to be incorporated by- 
baptism into one body, which is none other 
than the body of Christ — surely there can 
be no more forcible representation than 
this, of the change which takes place in 
baptism, from a state of nature to a state 
of grace; and yet all this is implied in 
that common synonym of baptism — christ- 
ening: i. being made a Christian, or a 
member of Christ. It seems to me that 
the presence or absence of the word regen- 
erate can but slightly modify the force of 
such language as this. 

I cannot forbear, in this relation, to call 
the attention of the reader to the language 
of the "Articles of Religion,' ' which have 
sometimes been thought to present a lower 
view of baptism than that contained in the 
Catechism and the Offices. Article XXV, 
"Of the Sacraments'' in general, de- 
clares that the " Sacraments ordained of 
Christ be not only badges or tokens of 
Christian men's profession, but rather they 
be certain sure witnesses and effectual signs 
of grace and God's good-will towards us, 



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by the which He doth work invisibly in us 
and doth not only quicken but also 
strengthen and confirm our faith in Him." 
And in Article XXVII, we are taught 
as follows: il Baptism is not only a 
sign of profession and mark of difference, 
whereby Christian men are discerned from 
others that be not christened, but it is also 
a sign of regeneration or new-birth, where- 
by, as by an instrument, they that receive 
baptism rightly are grafted into the Church ; 
the promises of the forgiveness of sin, and 
of our adoption to loe sons of God by the 
Holy Ghost, are visibly signed and sealed ; 
faith is confirmed, and grace increased by 
virtue of prayer unto God." 

These extracts must be sufficient to con- 
vince any one who is willing to be con- 
vinced, that all the parts of the Prayer 
Book are consistent not only with each 
other, but also with that fountain head from 
which they all emanate — the word of God. 

But finally, in relation to the effects of 
baptism, I would say it represents to us a 
present salvation from sin. It hardly needs 
an argument to prove that one who has 



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"put on Christ," one who is "a member of 
Christ, the child of God and an inheritor 
of the kingdom of Heaven," one who has 
received "remission of sins," and been re- 
ceived into covenant relations with his 
Creator — it hardly needs an argument, I 
say, to prove that such a one is fully as- 
sured of present salvation. If, therefore, 
there were found in Revelation no other 
utterances upon this subject than those to 
which I have already alluded, we should be 
abundantly justified in saying that every 
one who rightly receives the sacrament of 
baptism is, in that very act, saved from all 
the fatal effects of transgression. How 
strong therefore is our assurance made by 
the words of St. Peter in his First General 
Epistle (ill : 21,) — where, after having al- 
luded to he ark in which Noah and his 
family "were saved by water," (i. e. by the 
power of the water to bear the vessel upon 
its surface) he says: "The like figure 
whereunto even baptism doth also now save 
us, (not the putting away of the filth of the 
flesh, but the answer of a good conscience 
toward God) by the resurrection of Jesus. 



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Christ" If to any it seem inconsistent 
that salvation should here be ascribed to 
baptism, when elsewhere it is attributed to 
several other causes, I reply, that when 
there are several co-ordinate and essential 
means to any result, each one of them may 
properly be said to produce it, since with- 
out the co-operation of each it could not 
be produced at all. Therefore, when St 
Paul says, (Ephesians II : 8,) ' 'By grace 
are ye saved through faith/' he does not 
by any means contradict the statement of 
St. Peter, that we are saved by baptism ; 
since faith and baptism are both made, by 
the grace of God, co-ordinate and essential 
means in the salvation of men. 

But let us never forget that it is only a 
present salvation of which baptism assures 
us. As the water of the deluge would not 
have saved Noah if he had deserted the 
ark, so baptism will not save us if we de- 
sert the "ark of Christ's Church," in which 
that sacrament has placed us. Nay, as the 
water would have proved the destruction 
of Noah, if he had abandoned the ark, so 
if we abandon the Church, or, in other 



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words, give up the profession which we 
made in baptism, that blessed sacrament, 
thus abused, will but enhance our condem- 
nation in another world. But if, trusting 
not alone to the temporary cleansing of 
baptism (the first "putting away of the 
filth of the flesh") we strive to make it the 
occasion of keeping always "a conscience 
void of offense toward God and toward 
men then will that baptism into the 
death of Christ, conjoined with the other 
spiritual qualifications, make us also par- 
takers of His resurrection, and secure for 
us thereby a final entrance into His ever- 
lasting kingdom. Baptism places us in a 
state of present salvation ; but even the bap- 
tized are exhorted by St. Paul (Philippians 
II : 13,) to work out their future and eternal 
salvation "with fear and trembling." And 
this they will do, if they join to their own 
earnest striving an implicit confidence in 
the blessed assurance given by the same 
holy Apostle : * 'For it is God which worketh 
in you both to will and to do of His good 
pleasure." 



CHAPTER V. 

THE SUBJECTS OF BAPTISM. 

We shall have little difficulty in deciding 
the question: Who are proper subjects of 
baptism? if we keep in mind (what has 
already been shown ) that it is the means — 
and, since Christ came, the only revealed 
means — by which any human being can 
enter into formal covenant with God. 
Under the Mosaic dispensation, males only 
received the visible sign of the covenant 
— the whole nation, females as well as 
males, being thereby designated as God's 
chosen people. Doubtless this usage grew 
out of the original headship given to the 
man ; and if it had pleased God that the 
same rule should continue in force under 
the Christian dispensation, no true servant 
of His could have questioned its propriety. 
But since, after the coming of Christ, the 
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covenant was to be no longer limited to a 
single nation or race, it seemed good to the 
Head of the Church that all, both male and 
female, should be received into its pale, 
not only upon the same terms as to 
internal qualifications, but also by the 
reception of the same external rite. We 
accordingly find it expressly declared, with 
reference to those who were first received 
into the Church ( evidently to mark the 
%- distinction between the terms of the old 
covenant and the new) that "they were 
baptized, both men and women." (Acts. 
viii : 12.) There is, therefore, no differ- 
ence of opinion among Christians about 
the propriety of regarding women, equally 
with men, as proper subjects of baptism. 

But it is nearly, if not quite, as obvious that 
all ages should be considered legitimate sub- 
jects of baptism, as that both sexes should be 
so considered. Under the old dispensation, 
adults who had not been admitted into the 
covenant in infancy, were received by cir- 
cumcision. But a vast majority of those 
who then constituted the visible Church, 
were received into it when but eight days 



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old. And since neither the nature of God 
nor of man was changed with the change 
of dispensation, it was, a priori, in the 
highest degree improbable that infants 
would be excluded from the new covenant. 
But that God should have designed to 
exclude them, without giving any distinct 
and positive command for their exclusion, 
is utterly incredible. Instead, however, of 
finding any such command, we find abun- 
dant proof (by necessary inference) of His 
intention that infants should still be re- 
garded as proper subjects of His covenant. 

For when He intended so far to extend 
the terms of formal admission as to include 
females as well as males, He caused the 
fact to be expressly recorded. Is it then 
conceivable that He would have failed to 
put on record His intention to exclude the 
entire class of human beings that had hith- 
erto furnished nearly all the formal subjects 
of his covenant? And when He established 
it as one of the principles of His new 
spiritual kingdom, that entire households 
(Acts xvi : 15 and 33,) should be received 
into it by baptism, on the profession of the 



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householder's faith, is it not certain that if 
infants were to be excepted from this ar- 
rangement, He would have caused that fact 
also to be recorded — especially as the dis- 
ciples themselves, and all their first con- 
verts, had never known or dreamed of any 
other arrangement? Surely, among all the 
"silences of Scripture," there is none that 
speaks so eloquently for any doctrine, as 
does this for the truth (which ought to be 
unspeakably precious to the heart of every 
pious parent) that it is still a part of the 
divine plan for saving lost men, that in- 
fants, as well as adults, shall be taken into 
covenant relations with their Maker, and 
receive the formal pledge of His pardoning 
mercy. And why should any Christian ever 
have doubted that this is still, as of old, one 
of the fundamental principles of God's spirit- 
ual kingdom ? Cannot iniants, as well as ad- 
mits, enter into covenant with their fellow 
men ? AndJf God ever designed to make 
a covenant with His creatures at all, is it 
not reasonable to suppose that the analogy 
of human compacts, in this regard, would 
be maintained ? To the oft-repeated objec- 



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tion that infants cannot believe, and there- 
fore cannot perform the essential conditions 
of the covenant, I reply, that this objection 
would exclude them from Heaven, as well 
as from the Church. For Christ says, " He 
that believeth not shall be damned.' ' And 
if it be asserted that infants are not in- 
cluded in this declaration because they do 
not disbelieve, then I reply that, for the 
same reason, they are not disqualified from 
becoming participants in the divine cove- 
nant, and members of Christ's kingdom on • 
earth. 

If we consider properly the character .of 
infants and the nature of baptism, we shall 
clearly perceive that the ordinance is as 
necessary for them as for adults. For al- 
though it is true that, as yet, they have 
committed no voluntary transgressions, still, 
inheriting as they do a sinful nature, and 
being under the curse of the law, they 
have as urgent a need of "the remission of 
sins," as any other human beings. 

In certain governments, crimes against 
the sovereign are punished by attainder, or 
corruption of blood and forfeiture of civil 



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rights, for many generations. In every 
such case, if the sovereign offers conditional 
pardon to the attainted, it is necessary that 
all should comply with its conditions, 
whether they were guilty of the actual 
transgression, or are only the descendants 
of those who were. 

Analogous to this is the attainder of sin. 
God, the offended Sovereign, has seen fit to 
make the reception of baptism the seal of 
that sacred covenant, outside of which no 
human being can receive the assurance of 
pardon. All the analogies of human experi- 
ence conspire with the whole tenor of 
divine revelation to teach us that infants, 
as well as adults, may be received into that 
covenant, by the reception of its appointed 
seal. Nothing, therefore, but ignorance, or 
prejudice, or false religious instruction, can 
account for the singular phenomenon of a 
Christian parent so far overcoming the 
instincts of natural affection, as to neglect 
or refuse to imitate the pious example of 
Lydia and the converted jailor, by securing 
for his children, as well as himself, the 
pledge of God's covenanted mercies. 



CHAPTER VI. 

THE SCRIPTURE ARGUMENT FOR INFANT 
BAPTISM. 

In speaking of the subjects of baptism, I 
have necessarily presented one very import- 
ant view of the Scripture argument for the 
baptism of infants — namely, the argument 
based upon the necessity of that sacrament 
for all, whether infants or adults, and upon 
the anology existing between it and cir- 
cumcision, as the seal of the covenant. But 
as the opponents of infant baptism 'lay 
great stress upon the interpretation of indi- 
vidual texts, I will now cite a few passages, 
each of which, as I think, proves conclu- 
sively that the baptism of infants is in ac- 
cordance with the divine intention. 

The first that I shall adduce is from 

Solomon (Proverbs XXII : 6,): "Train up 

(or as the marginal reading has it, 'cate- 
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chise') a child in the way he should go; 
and when he is old he will not depart from 
it" I am aware that all those who do not 
believe in infant baptism (and perhaps 
some of those who profess to believe in it) 
are accustomed to regard these words as 
simply inculcating the general duty of 
instructing children religiously, so that, 
when they are old enough, they will of their 
own accord become Christians. But this 
interpretation by no means satisfies the 
necessary force of the language. These 
words were uttered by one who had him- 
self been made a participant in the divine 
covenant (and thus brought into "the way 
he should go," ) when but eight days old. 
And as, under the old dispensation, the 
injunction of Solomon could be obeyed 
only by adhering to the circumcision of 
infants; so, under the new, it can be obeyed 
only by maintaining the baptism of infants. 
The foundation of all efficient religious 
training of the young must now be laid at 
the font. If the Bible were every where 
else entirely silent in regard to this matter, 
I should want no better warrant than this 



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inspired utterance of Solomon, for our 
practice of initiating young children into 
the Church of Christ. Mark, I pray you, 
the natural and inevitable force of the 
words: "Train up a child in the way he 
should go, and when he is old he will not 
depart from it." How, I ask, can a child be 
trained up "in the way he should go, " if 
he is not first brought into that way? And 
how can we hope, or desire that our chil- 
dren should "not depart from " the way 
they have gone, during all their adolescent 
years, if we believe that way leads down to 
perdition ! 

If the doctrine that infants cannot be- 
come subjects of Christ's kingdom on earth, 
were any part of * ' the doctrine of God our 
Saviour," no inspired writer could have ut- 
tered the words we are now considering. 
Rather would the wise man have said: 
Train up a child, as well as you can, in the 
way he should not go, and when he is old 
he may, by the grace of God, depart from 
it ! If to any it seem absurd and impious 
to attribute such a thought to a sacred 
writer, I call them to witness that the ab- 



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surdity and impiety are not ours; for we 
believe that both reason and revelation 
emphatically enjoin the duty of placing our 
children, even in infancy, " in the way they 
should go," and of so bringing them up in 
th#t way, that "when they are old they 
will not depart from it" But if, from any 
cause — whether from the imperfection of 
training, or from the weakness of nature, 
or from the force of temptation — they do 
sometimes depart from it, melancholy as 
such an apostasy is, we cannot regard it as 
a reason why they, any more than adults, 
who are exposed to the same fearful lia- 
bility, should be prohibited from entering 
the Church — the sacred, the only "way" 
which God has appointed to conduct lost 
souls to Heaven. 

My second citation is from the words of 
Christ: (St. Mark, x : 14.) "Suffer the 
little children, to come unto me and forbid 
them not, for of such is the kingdom of 
Heaven." That the infants brought to 
Christ, at the time when He uttered these 
gracious words, were then and there bap- 
tized, I do not claim ; but that the words 



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themselves necessarily imply a suscepti- 
bility of divine grace, on the part of little 
children, which renders them proper sub 
jects of baptism, I unhesitatingly affirm. 

That the injunction of the Saviour was 
intended to be binding upon the Church, in 
all ages, I presume few, if any, will deny. 
But now that He is no longer bodily pres- 
ent upon earth, how else is it possible for 
that injunction to be obeyed, but by mak- 
ing infants members of Christ in holy 
baptism? They cannot, like adults, come 
to Him by their own \oluntary exercise of 
faith and repentance ; but, being incapable 
of disbelieving, and having no sins of their 
own to repent of, they still come to Christ, 
when their parents, mindful of His gra- 
cious permission and authoritative command, 
bring them to the font, there to ' ' put on 
Christ" by being baptized in His name. 
And by no other means, except as the 
angel of death bears them away .to Christ 
in Paradise (and the Christian who denies 
that infants can come to their Savior 
here, has seldom the cruel consistency to 
to deny that they may go to Him there !) — 



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can they approach Him — even in a figure. 
For to teach them that it will be their duty 
to come to Christ, when they are old 
enough to do so of their own volition, is 
not to suffer them to come to Him in in- 
fancy ; but rather is it coldly to tell them 
that they have not yet been brought to 
Him, and cannot be while their infantile 
state continues. Let those who will, thus 
taunt their offspring with being aliens from 
the covenant of grace. We, at least, 
" have not so learned Christ." 

My third citation is from the address of 
St. Peter to the multitude, on the first 
Whitsunday: (Acts II : 39,) "The promise 
is unto you and to your children." Ob- 
viously there can be no promise to those 
who are incapable of receiving the benefits 
pledged therein. If, therefore, the promises 
of God have no other relation to infants 
than simply as an assurance that they may 
become participants in the divine covenant, 
when they arrive at mature years, then are 
those promises not to infants at all, as such, 
but only to adults. And for little children, 
during their infancy, there is no hope of 



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salvation but in the " uncovenanted mercies 
of God." I leave to those who reject in- 
fant baptism, the hopeless task of recon- 
ciling this position with the explicit declara- 
tion of St. Peter. 

My fourth citation is from the writings 
of St. Paul: (I Cor. VII : 14.) ' ' The un- 
believing husband is sanctified by the [be- 
lieving] wife, and the unbelieving wife is 
sanctified by the [believing] husband. Else 
were your children unclean ; but now are 
they holy." The most reasonable and 
natural interpretation of these words is this: 
That if both the parents are unholy (that 
is, not saints) the children also are in that 
state of unholiness or uncleanness, in which 
they have no hereditary right to the bless- 
ings of the divine covenant. But if even 
one of the parents is a believer, the other 
is so far sanctified by the conjugal union, 
that the children are entitled by birth to be 
admitted as participants of that covenant, 
by the reception of its divinely appointed 
seal. What the children of unbelievers 
can receive only through Christian adop- 
tion, the offspring of the saints may claim 



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as a birthright. Any system of interpreta- 
tion which would render this passage con- 
sistent with the theory that no infants are 
proper subjects of baptism, would make of 
Holy Scripture an unintelligible jargon, 
capable of being tortured into the support 
of any heresy, however monstrous. 

The fifth passage which I shall cite is the 
Saviour's commission to the Apostles, as 
recorded by St. Matthew (XXVIII: 19-20.) 
n Go ye therefore and teach [ or as the 
word in the original implies, make disciples 
of] all nations, baptizing them in the name 
of the Father, and of the Son, and of the 
Holy Ghost ; teaching them to observe all 
things whatsoever I have commanded you." 
Pray, what idea could the Apostles, who 
were Jews, have of ' ' discipling all nations," 
but that of taking the children, as their 
nation had always done, initiating them 
into the Church by the customary rite, and 
then teaching them to believe and to do as 
the law of God requires ? As Bishop Tom- 
line well observes: "Nations consist of 
persons of all ages, and therefore infants as 
well as adults must be included in this 



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command, as the objects of baptism. * * 
Had our Saviour intended any alteration in 
Jewish practice, or any limitation with 
respect to age, He would not have failed to 
specify it. ,, 

This great commission itself, therefore, 
may properly be regarded as a direct com- 
mand for baptizing infants, and then train- 
ing them up in accordance with their bap- 
tismal vows. 

My sixth and last citation is from the 
first chapter of St. Paul's Epistle to Titus; 
where, along with several others, is enumer- 
ated this singular requisite for ordination to 
the sacred ministry, viz , that of " having 
faithful children/' It would of course be in 
the highest degree absurd to suppose that 
St. Paul intended to forbid Titus to ordain to 
the ministry any man who was childless, or 
to require him to debar from the ministry 
any one having children, until they had 
come to mature years, and by a voluntary 
profession of their faith and life of obedience, 
had shown themselves "faithful" disciples. 
What then are we to understand by this 
remarkable requirement? Obviously this: 



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That if any candidate for ordination had 
children he must have had them baptized 
into the faith of Christ, and placed in a 
course of training "to continue His faithful 
soldiers and servants unto their life's end." 
From the very fact of such a requirement 
being made, we are naturally left to infer 
that, then as now, some professing Chris- 
tians were careless and negligent about 
bringing their children to Holy Baptism; 
and that, to rebuke such unchristian care- 
lessness and negligence, St. Paul saw fit to 
command that none who were thus forget- 
ful of the highest duty of a Christian parent 
should be admitted to any rank of the 
sacred ministry. Let those who are guilty 
of the same offence now-a-days, take to 
themselves the apostolic rebuke!* 

There are many other separate passages, 
from which the practice of infant baptism 
might be justified, perhaps as fully as by 

*I desire in this place to acknowledge and record the fact 
that my attention was directed to this last remarkable and 
most instructive passage by the Bishop of Kansas, one of the 
Right Reverend fathers who were so kind as to read the man- 
uscript of the present volume, and to give it their cordial en- 
dorsement and recommendation, 



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the ones already cited. But surely these # 
are enough — especially as it has previously 
been shown that the practice in question is 
sustained by the general tenor of divine 
revelation. 

I trust that the brief presentation which 
I have made of the teaching of Holy 
Scripture, in regard to this subject, has 
satisfied all my readers that the XXVIIth 
of our Articles of Religion embodies a pre- 
cious truth, when it says : ' ' The baptism 
of young children is in any wise to be 
retained in the Church, as most agreeable 
to the institution of Christ." 



CHAPTER VII. 

THE HISTORICAL ARGUMENT FOR INFANT BAP- 
TISM. 

The history of infant baptism, as a prac- 
tice of the Church from the first century 
to the close of the fourth century, was 
written nearly two hundred years ago by 
William Wall, a learned presbyter of 
the Church of England, in a large octavo 



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volume. This fact of itself seems like a 
forcible proof that the practice in question 
is of primitive origin; for, otherwise, how 
could the materials for so voluminous a his- 
tory have accumulated in four centuries ? — 
especially as nobody pretends that any con- 
troversies occurred among the ecclesiastical 
writers of those ages concerning the pro- 
priety of the custom. 

Mr. Wall was, of course, "answered;" for 
if his opponents, the anti-pedobaptists, had 
found no champion, the fact would have 
been taken by the whole religious world as 
an acknowledgment of defeat. But the 
"answer," written by Mr. John Gale, prob- 
ably the most able writer of his party then 
living, is now published by the Church, 
along with Mr. Wall's rejoinder, in another 
large octavo volume; and these two volumes 
constitute that treasure-house of ecclesi- 
astical learning known as "The History of 
Infant Baptism, by William Wall, M. A." 

When two political opponents have had 
a joint discussion, and one party has shown 
"the courage of its opinions," by publish- 
ing the entire debate as "a campaign doc- 



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ument," the fact leaves little doubt on 
which side lies the weight of the argument. 

But though (as I have observed) the 
materials for the early history of infant 
baptism are so abundant, yet the argument 
drawn therefrom in proof of its primitive 
character, and hence of its divine authority, 
may be condensed into a very few pages. 

We have seen that the testimony of the 
inspired writers, convincing as it is, in favor 
of infant baptism, consists rather in a neces- 
sary inference from their writings, than in 
any positive commands enjoining it, or 
direct statements of its actual existence. 
We ought not, therefore, to be surprised to 
find that the testimony of the writers im- 
mediately succeeding the Apostles, is largely 
of a similar character. If the writers of 
the first century assert principles which 
clearly imply the necessity of baptism for 
infants as well as adults — if the writers of 
the following ages speak of the custom of 
baptizing infants as universal and apostolic 
— if these characteristics of the custom are 
denied by none — and if all the controversies 
in which allusion is made to it refer only to 



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such incidental circumstances as make the 
very controversies themselves a proof of 
its primitive character, and universal observ- 
ance — surely no modern Christian could 
ask or desire any stronger evidence of the 
fact that, in admitting infants to baptism, 
he is following the authority of the ancient 
Church and of Christ its founder. 

And this is precisely the state of the case, 
as substantiated by ecclesiastical history. 
Clemens Romanus and Hermas Pastor, who 
lived in the first century and were contem- 
porary with the Apostles, both speak of 
original sin, and of baptism the appointed 
means for its remission in such a manner as 
clearly to make that ordinance just as neces- 
sary for infants as for adults. Wall, in his 
"History," and (shortly after him) Bingham, 
in his "Antiquities of the Christian Church/' 
cite at length the passages from these 
authors in which this view is plainly set 
forth. It would be interesting to quote 
them, but want of space forbids. 

Justin Martyr, who wrote his "Apologies" 
about the year 148, not only takes the same 
theological position, but directly asserts 



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that the baptism of infants had been prac- 
ticed from the times of the Apostles. For 
he says that "there were, among Christians 
in his time, many persons of both sexes, 
some sixty and some seventy years old, 
who had been made disciples to Christ from 
their infancy, and continued virgins, or 
uncorrupted, all their lives. , ' That to be 
"made disciples .to Christ" signifies or in- 
cludes baptism, it would be absurd to deny. 
The persons, therefore, to whom he alludes, 
must have been baptized in apostolic times; 
since sixty or seventy years previous to the 
date of his writing must carry us back to a 
time when some of the Apostles were still 
living. 

After Justin Martyr, Irenaeus, Bishop of 
Lyons, ("a disciple of Polycarp, who was 
a disciple of St. John ") writing about the 
middle of the second century, and Tertul- 
lian, a presbyter of Carthage, at its close; 
Origen, who lived at the commencement, 
and St. Cyprian in the middle, of the third 
century — all speak in the most unequivocal 
manner of infant baptism as the common 
practice of the Church in their times, and 



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as transmitted to them from the times of 
the Apostles. The second of these writers, 
indeed, (Tertullian) from some peculiar 
notions of his in regard to the unpardon- 
able nature of sin committed after baptism, 
was not only in favor of postponing that of 
infants until mature years, (except when 
there was imminent danger of death — when 
he urges their baptism) but he also held 
that the baptism of adults who were ex- 
posed to unusual temptations, should be 
deferred until they were advanced in years. 
But his views in these respects were con- 
fessedly a novelty, and he found for them 
neither advocates nor followers. 

In the time of St. Cyprian a controversy 
sprang up (based upon the acknowledged 
substitution of baptism for circumcision, as 
the seal of the covenant), in reference to the 
age at which infants should be baptized — 
some maintaining (among whom was 4 'one 
Fidus, a country Bishop ") that as circum- 
cision was not administered until the eighth 
day, so baptism should follow the same 
rule. This question was referred by Fidus 
to the council of Carthage (A. D. 253) 



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composed of sixty-six bishops presided 
over by St. Cyprian, who returned a long 
synodical answer, from which (after Wall) 
I make the following extracts : 

" As to the case of infants, whereas you 
judge that they ought not to be baptized with- 
in two or three days after they are born; and 
that the rule of circumcision should be 
observed, so that none should be baptized 
and sanctified \i. e. made saints] before the 
eighth day, we were all, in our assembly, 
of the contrary opinion. " "All of us 
judged that the mercy and grace of God is 
to be denied to no person that is born" — 
nulli homini nato; literally to no man born 
— 2. e. as soon as he is born. ' ' The Scrip- 
ture gives us to understand the equality of 
the divine gift on all, whether infants or grown 
persons." " Unless you will think that the 
grace itself which is given to baptized per- 
sons is greater or less according to the age 
of those that receive it ; whereas the Holy 
Spirit is given not by different measures, 
but with fatherly affection and kindness 
equal to all." " So that we judge that no 
person is to be hindered from obtaining the 



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grace, by the law that is now appointed; 
and that the spiritual circumcision ought 
not to be restrained by the circumcision that 
was according to the flesh : but that all are 
to be admitted to the grace of Christ." 

Concerning this controversy and its 
decision Mr. Wall pertinently remarks : 
" It is not to be denied by any but that this 
is a plain proof of infant baptism being 
taken for granted at that time, since both 
Fidus, who puts the question, and the 
council that resolve it, do show by their 
words their sense to be that they are to be 
baptized in infancy; only Fidus thought not 
before the eighth day." 

I will adduce but one additional argu- 
ment in proof of the primitive practice of 
infant baptism in the Church, and that is 
derived from the so-called " Pelagian Con- 
troversy," which sprang up about A. D,, 
400. Mr. Wall thus sets forth the nature 
and origin of this controversy, and its bear- 
ing upon the question before us : 

"A new heresy, happening in the Church 
at this time, gave more occasion to speak 
of infant baptism than ever had been be- 



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fore. Not that any of the parties disap- 
proved it; but one of them held that there 
is no original sin in infants, and that brought 
in much discourse about their baptism." 
That is to say, the opponents of the heresy 
maintained that the baptism of infants, 
which all acknowledged to be primitive and 
apostolic, was a proof of original sin, since 
all baptism is "for the remission of sins." 
The enforcing of this argument on the one 
side, and the efforts to parry it, on the 
other, gave rise to the i ' much discourse" of 
which Mr. Wall speaks. The same author 
proceeds : 

"Pelagius, a monk living at Rome, was 
the author of this heresy ; at least the first 
promoter of it in the West. And one 
Cselestius, another monk, was his chief 
abettor; and afterward Julianus, a bishop, 
and Anianus, a deacon. It was not started 
till the year of Christ, 410. But most of 
the managers on each side were men of note 
before the year 400. 

" The men that I named were the only 
writers of the Pelagian side: but a con- 
siderable number of the people was brought 



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over to incline to their opinions. They ar- 
gued that the doctrine of original sin and 
natural corruption, by which persons are 
supposed to be born under a necessity of 
sinning, did cast a reflection on the honor 
and justice of God who gives us our being; 
and this argument was plausible among the 
vulgar. 

"Consequently to this, they said that 
baptism of infants was not for any sin they 
had, but to gain them admittance into the 
Kingdom of Heaven. For they said that 
children, though they were not baptized, 
should have an eternal and happy life ; not 
in the Kingdom of Heaven indeed, because 
our Saviour (John 111 : 5) had determined 
the contrary; but somewhere, they knew 
not where." 

It will be seen that the opinion was well- 
nigh universal in the ancient Church, that 
no one dying unbaptized, whether adult or 
infant, could be saved in Heaven. This 
opinion naturally grew out of the interpre- 
tation which was given to the words of our 
Saviour in the passage above referred to : 
" Except a man be born of water and of the 



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Spirit, he cannot enter into the Kingdom 
of God." If "the Kingdom of God" nec- 
essarily means a state ol salvation in 
Heaven, then all that die unbaptized must 
be lost. But the best Biblical scholars of 
our Church give to that phrase, in the text 
quoted above, a different meaning. Dr. 
Lightfoot makes it synonymous with "the 
Gospel state;" and Bishop Mant interprets 
it to mean "the Church, or ' Kingdom of 
God' on earth." Into this " state of salva- 
tion" baptism is the appointed door of 
entrance ; and only those who enter through 
that door can be taken into covenant rela- 
tions with God, and receive the pledge of 
His pardoning mercy. We may charitably 
hope that those who die without baptism, 
but in that moral and spiritual state which 
entitles them to its reception, will be saved 
in Heaven at last; and in the first rubric of 
her burial service our Church clearly sanc- 
tions that hope in regard to infants; but 
surely no prudent and pious man can be 
willing to leave himself or his offspring with 
no reliance for salvation except upon the 
" uncovenanted mercies of God." 



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The object for which the above standing 
quotations from the ancient fathers are 
made, is something entirely aside from 
their doctrinal import ; but it seemed to me 
nevertheless desirable that some of their 
strong expressions in regard to the nature 
and necessity of baptismal grace should be 
viewed in the light of modern opinion. 

After giving an exhaustive account of the 
Pelagian controversy, with copious extracts 
from the writers on both sides, Mr. Wall 
sums up the argument to be derived from 
it in favor of the early practice of infant 
baptism, in the following paragraphs, with 
which I will close the present chapter : 

"The most material thing to our pur- 
pose to be observed from these passages 
of the latter part of this history, is this: 
How exceedingly the Pelagians were pressed 
with this argument taken from the baptism 
of infants; and to how many absurdities 
they were driven in answering of it. Some- 
times they said they were not baptized for 
forgiveness, but for something else. Some- 
times they owned they were baptized for 
forgiveness, not that they had any sin, but 



92 



SPONSORSHIP. 



that the uniformity of the words might be 
kept; or because they were baptized into 
the Church, where forgiveness was to be 
had for those that wanted it; or because 
they were baptized with a sacrament which 
had the means of forgiveness for any that 
had sinned or should sin. And some flew 
to that, that infants have sinned, though not 
by propagation from a sinful stock ; but 
either before they were born, in a former 
state, or since they were born, by peevish- 
ness, etc. Since these men resolved not to 
own original sin in infants, how much it had 
been for their turn to deny that they were 
to be baptized at all ! If they had known 
any Church or society of Christians, then 
in being, or that ever had been, that had 
disowned infant baptism, their interest 
would have led them to allege their ex- 
ample, or to plead it in their own behalf. 
But far from that, Caelestius does own that 
infants are to be baptized according to the 
'rule of the universal Church;' and Pelagius 
moreover confesses that 'he never had 
heard, no not even any impious heretic or 
sectary, that denied infants' baptism;' and 



SPONSORSHIP. 



that 'he thought there could not be any one 
so ignorant as to imagine that infants could 
enter the Kingdom of Heaven without it.' 

" And if there had been any such Church 
of anti-pedobaptists in the world, these two 
men could not have missed an opportunity 
of hearing of them, being so great travelers 
as they were; for they were born and bred, 
the one here in Britain, the other in Ire- 
land. They lived the prime of their age at 
Rome, a place to which all the people of the 
world had then a resort. They were both 
for some time at Carthage in Africa. Then 
the one settled at Jerusalem, and the other 
traveled through all the noted Greek and 
eastern Churches in Europe and Asia. It 
is impossible there should have been any 
Church that had any singular practice in 
this matter, but they must have heard of 
them. So that one may fairly conclude, 
that there was not at this time, nor in the 
memory of the men of this time, any Chris- 
tian society that denied baptism to infants." 



CHAPTER VIII. 

SPONSORSHIP THE NECESSARY ACCOMPANIMENT 
OF INFANT BAPTISM. 

An infant is, of course, incapable of per- 
forming for himself, and in his own name, 
any responsible act. His powers, both 
mental and physical, are yet undeveloped ; 
for which very reason he is called an infant 
— i. e. one who cannot speak — the act of 
speaking being perhaps the simplest that 
is performed by mind and body conjointly. 
But though an infant cannot speak or act 
for himself, yet, as he has rights, so also he 
may be said to have responsibilities. It is 
his duty to grow up a faithful and obedient 
member of the family and the state into 
which he is born. He may be left in the 
possession of immense wealth by parents 
who are now in their graves. And as he is 
protected by the state in the ownership of 
this property, it is his duty to use it in 

94 



SPONSORSHIP. 95 

such a manner that the state shall receive 
therefrom no detriment. But how can he 
do this, since he has no ability to act for 
himself? Simply by having guardians ap- 
pointed by the civil authority, who are 
empowered to act for him until he shall 
have arrived at the age of accountability. 
Through their agency he can enter into 
covenant with others, for the use or man- 
agment of his estate, which shall be just 
as binding upon both parties thereto, as if 
he were already a man. 

And this is precisely the way in which 
an "infant enters into covenant relations 
with God." As he cannot enter into cov- 
enant with man, without some one to 
assume the important trust of guardianship ; 
so he cannot enter into covenant with God, 
unless some one can be found who will 
assume the still more important trust of 
sponsorship. And as in civil matters he is 
bound by the acts of his guardians, ap- 
pointed by the authority of the state, so, 
in religious matters he is bound by the 
solemn act of his sponsors, appointed by 
the authority of the Church. 



9 6 



SPONSORSHIP. 



How perfectly intelligible to the lowest 
comprehension does this simple analogy- 
render the following questions and answers, 
taken from the catechism: 

" Question. What is required of persons 
to be baptized?" 

"Answer. Repentance, whereby they 
forsake sin ; and faith, whereby they stead- 
fastly believe the promises of God, made to 
them in that sacrament/ ' 

u Question. Why then are infants bap- 
tized, when by reason of their tender age 
they cannot perform them ?" 

"Answer. Because they promise them 
both by their sureties ; which promise, when 
they come to age, themselves are bound to 
perform." 

As an infant cannot enter into covenant 
with God, except through the agency of 
sponsors, so no one who brings an infant to 
baptism can divest himself of the solemn 
obligations of sponsorship — even though 
no word may have been uttered by him, 
during the performance of the sacred rite. 
And, strange as it may seem, this is essen- 
tially the view taken by those Christians 



SPONSORSHIP. 



97 



who, retaining in their churches the bap- 
tism of infants, yet reject all tormal spon- 
sorship, and seem at least to deny (by their 
common belief in the necessity of subse- 
quent regeneration) that the ordinance can 
have any sacramental effect whatever upon 
the subjects themselves. For they all 
teach, so far as I am aware, that those who 
present an infant for baptism, in that very 
act place themselves under a solemn obliga- 
tion to bring him up in the nurture and ad- 
monition of the Lord. Our Church shows 
herself to be apostolic, as well by retaining 
formal sponsorship in infant baptism, as by 
adhering to the ancient belief that children 
are made in that ordinance " members of 
Christ, the children of God, and inheritors 
of the Kingdom of Heaven." 

That the view thus briefly presented is 
that of the early Church, is susceptible of 
the clearest proof. Bingham, in his Chris- 
tian antiquities, asserts that "they who were 
sureties or sponsors for children, were 
obliged first to answer in their names to all 
the interrogatories that were usually put in 
baptism ; and then to be guardians of their 



9 8 



SPONSORSHIP. 



Christian education." And he quotes at 
length, from the writings of such ancient 
authors as Tertullian, Gennadius, and St. 
Augustine, passages which prove conclu- 
sively both these positions. According to 
the last named writer, 4 'when an infant is 
said to have faith, the meaning is only that 
he receives the sacrament of faith, which 
faith he is bound to embrace when he comes 
to understand it. In the meantime he is 
called a believer, because he receives that 
sacrament and is entered into the covenant 
of God by his sponsors, who supply that 
part for him which he cannot perform in his 
own person." This is precisely the view 
now taken by our Church, and fully set 
forth in the catechism, and in the baptismal 
office. 

In speaking of the fact of sponsorship I 
have, as was unavoidable, alluded to its 
reasonableness. This, however, I purpose 
more fully to illustrate in the following 
chapter. 



CHAPTER IX. 

THE REASONABLENESS OF SPONSORSHIP. 

Our practice of receiving infants as mem- 
bers of the Church, and of holding them 
responsible, on arriving at maturity, for the 
fulfillment of promises made for them by 
others, without their knowledge or consent, 
is pronounced by some to be in the highest 
degree absurd. But in cases every way 
analogous (as I hinted in the last chapter) 
these very objectors do unhesitatingly sanc- 
tion — are in fact compelled to sanction — a 
principle and practice precisely similar. 

There are among men three divinely ap- 
pointed institutions, the Family, the Church, 
and the State; each enjoining upon its mem- 
bers peculiar duties, and each the source of 
incalculable blessings which are transmitted 
from parents to children in an endless suc- 
cession of generations. In each, infants 

99 



IOO 



SPONSORSHIP 



are born to the inheritance of certain rights 
and privileges, and held responsible lor them 
on arriving at maturity. 

What would be thought of a child who, 
on becoming old enough to understand the 
relation existing between himself and his 
parents, should address them in language 
like this : "I care not for your protection 
and I repudiate your authority. My birth 
in your family is an accident over which I 
had no control, and for which I am not re- 
sponsible; and I refuse to obey require- 
ments to which my consent has never been 
given, nor even asked !" The wickedness 
of such a rebellion would be equaled only 
by its monstrous absurdity: And yet 
neither its wickedness nor its absurdity 
would be greater than that of the man who 
should scorn the blessings and reject the 
authority of the Church, because his birth 
anfl baptism therein were accidents over 
which he had no control. 

But let us look more particularly at the 
analogy between the Church and the State. 

The State is a body of people, united under 
one government, transmitting its constitu. 



SPONSORSHIP. IOI 

tion and laws from one generation to an- 
other, in an unlimited succession. Each 
individual born of its members, is, from the 
moment of his birth, under its protection ; 
and on arriving at a proper age is admitted 
to its privileges, and held amenable to its 
laws. 

Suppose now that a man, having com- 
mitted a crime and been brought before 
the civil authorities to answer therefor, 
should address them in words like these: 
" I am not a member of your common- 
wealth. I had no voice in making your 
laws, and I will not be bound by them. I 
have never exercised any of your fran- 
chises. I ask not for your protection. I 
scorn your privileges, and I reject your 
authority." He would, perhaps, be sent to 
the lunatic asylum instead of the prison; 
but even as a lunatic he would not be 
allowed to trample upon the laws of his 
country. 

Suppose, again, that the State should 
borrow money, and pass a law providing 
for its payment at the end of forty years ; 
and that, at the expiration of that time, a 



102 



SPONSORSHIP. 



tax having been levied, an individual should 
refuse to pay it because, forsooth, when 
the law was made he was not old enough 
to vote ! If he had property, it would be 
taken for the tax, in spite ot his insane 
remonstrance ; and if he should resist the 
collection by force, he would justly be 
treated as any other malefactor. 

But suppose that a whole State, by its 
representatives, should say: "This money 
was borrowed by a former generation of 
men, while we were infants or yet unborn. 
We deny that it has benefited. us, and we 
refuse the payment." They would per- 
haps have the power thus to disgrace 
themselves; but the scorn of the civilized 
world would be the penalty which they 
would suffer for thus discarding the funda- 
mental idea of civil government — the idea, 
namely, that one generation has the power 
and the right to impose an obligation upon 
its successor. 

We, the adult citizens of this Republic, 
stand sponsors for the generation that is 
springing up around us. Regarding them 
as infant citizens, we have become their 



SPONSORSHIP. 



103 



sureties to the State (not the less really for 
the absence of ceremony) and have, in ef- 
fect, promised and vowed three things in 
their name. First, that they shall renounce 
the evil spirit of insubordination, and all 
his works, the pomps and vanities of des- 
potic governments, and all the sinful lusts of 
unlawful aggrandizement. Secondly, that 
they shall believe all the articles of our 
Republican faitli. And thirdly, that they 
shall obey the constitution and laws of their 
country, and walk in the same all the days 
of their life. We are morally bound to 
furnish them with that kind of mental and 
moral training which is best calculated to 
make them honest, peaceable, and law-abid- 
ing men. If, on arriving at maturity, they 
refuse to believe and to do as we have vir- 
tually promised for them, we, having per- 
formed our duty, shall remain guiltless, and 
they henceforth will be responsible for their 
own acts. 

And this is the fitting analogy to the re- 
lation in which our children stand to the 
Church of Christ. By the ordinance of 
baptism they have been received " into the 



104 



SPONSORSHIP. 



congregation of Christ's flock." Regarding 
them as infant Christians, we have become 
their sureties to the Church, and have made 
to her three similar promises and vows in 
their behalf. We have placed ourselves 
under the most solemn obligations to "bring 
them up in the nurture and admonition of 
the Lord ;" and we believe that, if we per- 
form our duty faithfully, they will grow up 
conscientious and devoted Christians. The 
promise is to us and them, equally. We 
have the same reason to hope for their final 
salvation, that we have to hope for our own. 
We may (it is a fearful truth) — we may fall 
into sin, and finally perish, and so may they. 
But if, having brought them into the fold 
of Christ, we there continue to do our 
whole duty by them, in the fear of God, 
we can leave them resignedly in His hands, 
well assured that, if they fail of Heaven at 
last, we shall be guiltless in the day of judg- 
ment. 

And now what need have I further to 
apply and enforce the argument. I trust 
that my readers see its force, and that they 
have made the application for themselves. 



SPONSORSHIP. 



105 



And they cannot, I think, fail to acknowl- 
edge that those who discard sponsorial bap- 
tism as absurd, should, in order to be con- 
sistent, discard parental and civil authority, 
as equally and similarly absurd. 



CHAPTER X. 

CONFIRMATION THE LEGITIMATE END OF THE 
SPONSOR'S OBLIGATION. 

All obligations assumed in behalf of 
others have their appropriate limits, not 
only as to the things to be performed, but 
also as to the time of performing them. 
The obligation of an agent appointed to 
transact a specified business, terminates 
when the work is done and the account 
rendered. The obligation of the guardian 
ceases when the ward has attained his ma- 
jority. These two cases conjointly illus- 
trate the nature and the limit of the obliga- 
tion assumed in sponsorship. The duties 
of the sponsor (which will be considered in 
another chapter) are set down with con- 
siderable minuteness in the Baptismal Office. 
Of course no honest Christian, who has 

voluntarily bound himself to perform those 

1 06 



SPONSORSHIP. 



107 



duties, will consider his obligation at an 
end until, to the best of his ability, he has 
performed them. 

The same office points to the confirma- 
tion of the child, as the proper limit of the 
time during which those duties are to be 
fulfilled. If, on arriving at the proper age 
for the reception of that ordinance, ( which 
is commonly set down by the bishops of 
the Church at about fourteen years,) the 
child should refuse to receive it, notwith- 
standing the faithful endeavors of his spon- 
sors to bring him to a better mind, doubt- 
less he, and not they, would be responsible 
before God for his neglect At the same 
time, no conscientious sponsor would ever 
be able or willing to divest himself of a 
certain feeling of responsibility even for 
such godchildren, until they had volun- 
tarily taken upon themselves the solemn 
obligation of the covenant, in the appointed 
ordinance of the Church. 

Confirmation is the complement of bap- 
tism. In the case of infants, it bears the 
same relation to the other ordinance, that 
the voluntary assumption of a debt by a 



io8 



SPONSORSHIP. 



ward, in his own name, would bear to the 
original creation of the debt through his 
guardians. Baptism is the seal of the cov- 
enant ; confirmation is the acknowledg- 
ment of the seal. In the case of adults it 
is the same — except that they took the 
obligation upon themselves at the first ; 
with them, therefore, it is a re-affirmation 
of the baptismal covenant under new, if 
not more solemn, sanctions. 

But in neither case is it simply a re-affirm- 
ation. All the ordinances of the Church are 
" means of grace and that confirmation 
is to be regarded as one of the chief among 
these, is obvious from the fact that the 
Church makes its reception (or a fitness 
and desire to receive it), an express con- 
dition of formal admission to the holy 
communion. 

The history of confirmation can easily be 
traced through all the ages of the Christian 
Church. Indeed, its prototype (so far as it 
relates to those baptized in infancy) may be 
found among the customs of the Jews. 
For (as Wheatley informs us from Grotius) 
"it was a custom of the Jews to bring their 



SPONSORSHIP. 109 

children, at the age of thirteen years, to be- 
publicly examined before the congregation, 
and to make a solemn promise that they 
would from thenceforward engage them- 
selves faithfully to observe the law of Moses, 
and so be accountable for their own sins. 
After which engagement followed the 
prayers of the congregation that God would 
bless and enable them to make good their 
promise.'' The same author supposes that 
the taking of Christ to the temple at 
twelve years old, was in accordance with 
this custom ; and that the understanding 
displayed by his questions and answers, 
while sitting among the doctors, proved the 
propriety of his being made a "child of the 
precept" in advance of the customary age. 

But confirmation (called in the New Tes- 
tament "the laying on of hands" ) was first 
administered in the Church to those who 
were baptized in adult years, and as soon as 
might be after their baptism. And its re- 
ception at the hands of the Apostles was 
accompanied by the special affusion of the 
Holy Spirit, whose descent upon the whole 
Church Christ had promised as a conse- 



no 



SPONSORSHIP. 



quence of His own ascension into Heaven. 
In this view of the ordinance, confirmation 
has for its prototype the event which oc- 
curred at our Saviour's baptism ; of which 
St. Matthew (ill : 16,) thus speaks: " And 
Jesus, when He was baptized, went up 
straightway out of the water; and, lo, the 
heavens were opened unto Him, and He 
saw the Spirit of God descending like a 
dove, and lighting upon Him." 

As, therefore, Christ Himself, upon being 
initiated into His public office by baptism, 
was anointed by the affusion of the Holy 
Ghost to be our prophet, priest, and king ; 
so all who have been made members of 
Christ in that holy sacrament, must receive 
the same anointing before they can enter 
fully upon their public ministry, as " kings 
and priests unto God." 

While the age of miracles lasted, confir- 
mation was often (though probably not al- 
ways) accompanied by those supernatural 
endowments which have always been re- 
garded as the extraordinary gifts of the 
Holy Ghost ; such as prophesying, healing, 
and speaking with tongues. Since that 



SPONSORSHIP. 



Ill 



time only the ordinary gifts of the Spirit 
are to be expected, either in this or any 
other Christian ordinance — of which gifts 
the physical senses can take no cognizance. 
But who that feels the need of divine con- 
solation, guidance, and sanctification, would 
willingly neglect any means which the 
Scripture has appointed for imparting or 
confirming these heavenly graces ? 

St. Paul in his Epistle to the Hebrews 
(VI: 2,) enumerates confirmation, or " the 
laying on of hands/' as among "the 
principles of the doctrine of Christ/ ' And 
to reject this ordinance because it is no 
longer accompanied by supernatural man- 
ifestations, would ( as Wheatley very well 
observes, ) be quite as unreasonable as it 
would be to reject prayer and preaching 
for the same reason — since they also, in 
the first ages of the Church, were frequently 
attended by similar manifestations. And 
besides all this, confirmation, as one of the 
peculiar functions of the highest order of 
the ministry (handed down as such from 
the earliest times,) constitutes an essential 
link in the chain of history which connects 



112 



SPONSORSHIP. 



the Church of to-day with that of the 
Apostles. 

Let us be thankful that, in our branch of 
the Church Catholic, this sacred rite has 
been preserved in its purity and simplicity, 
both as an appointed means for the edifica- 
tion of youthful and inexperienced Chris- 
tians, and as a proof to the world that ours 
is indeed an "Apostolic Church/' 



CHAPTER XL 

THE PROPRIETY OF REQUIRING THAT EVERY 
BAPTIZED CHILD SHALL HAVE AT LEAST 
ONE SPONSOR OTHER THAN ITS NATURAL 
PARENTS. 

While serving for several months as 
army chaplain, during the late war, my at- 
tention was often attracted to the fact that 
every gun-carriage and caisson was pro- 
vided with a convenient place upon which 
was borne a supernumerary wheel. The 
object of this arrangement, which I under- 
stood to be universal in the artillery service, 
is obviously to guard against the loss of 
the vehicle and its contents, by one of its 
wheels becoming disabled. If one of them 
should be broken in transportation, or car- 
ried away by a shot, there would be an- 
other left to supply its place. 

In accordance with the same prudent 
foresight, whenever a fortified place is to be 

H2 



114 



SPONSORSHIP. 



attacked, or any other movement of offen- 
sive warfare to be made, there is a body of 
reserves always kept in readiness for any 
emergency. 

And this foresight of the military author- 
ities in providing as far as possible against 
the casualties of war, is an apt illustration 
of the wisdom of the Church militant in 
providing that amid "the changes and 
chances of this mortal life/ 5 the young sol- 
diers of Christ entrusted to her keeping 
shall never want the support, guidance, and 
protection necessary to their spiritual 
safety. 

In the early Christian ages, when the chil- 
dren of heathen parents often came under 
the care of the Church, and when there 
were comparatively few to take upon them- 
selves the office of sponsors, any Christian 
might present an infant for baptism and 
answer in its name. Even a deaconess, or 
other female Christian, might become spon- 
sor for a male child. And even now 
(since the Church never requires impossi- 
bilities), in case of necessity, the same lib- 
erty would be allowed. 



SPONSORSHIP. 



115 



The Church of England, adapting her 
rules to a time when nearly all were pro- 
fessing Christians, requires that there shall 
be, for every baptized child, three sponsors 
whose spiritual oversight shall be super- 
added to that of its natural parents. Our 
own Church, suiting her legislation to cir- 
cumstances differing from both the cases 
alluded to, requires (like the English 
Church ) that there shall be three sponsors ; 
but the parents, if themselves baptized, 
may stand for their own offspring. 

In all these cases it is the obvious inten- 
tion of the Church to furnish ample pro- 
vision for the training of her infant mem- 
bers, whatever casualties may happen to 
their natural guides and protectors. If one 
" wheel be broken," there shall be another 
to carry its precious burden. If one regi- 
ment be stricken down in the fight, there 
shall be a "corps de reserve" to supply its 
place — to carry on the contest begun, and 
help to secure the final victory. 

But the value of the sponsorial office is 
by no means limited to those cases in which 
baptized children have unbelieving parents, 



n6 



SPONSORSHIP, 



or lose their parents in infancy. If the 
parents survive the adolescence of their 
children, and are diligent and faithful dur- 
ing all those years in training them for 
Christ — even then the sympathy and coun- 
sel of pious sponsors are invaluable. The 
parents who have been most assiduous in 
the Christian education of their own chil- 
dren, and the children that have profited 
most by the fidelity of their own parents, 
will acknowledge the most readily the bene- 
fit to be derived from the faithful discharge 
of sponsorial duty. We cannot surround 
our children with too many holy influences. 
We cannot provide them with too many 
safeguards against the allurements of the 
world, the flesh, and the devil. ' 1 In the 
multitude of counsellors there is safety." 
And the greater the multitude of sympa- 
thizing Christian friends provided for our 
children, the surer they will be to "lead the 
rest of their life according to the beginning " 
which they made at the font. 

Aside from the religious benefit that may 
be derived from sponsorship, the social en- 
joyment and the intellectual improvement 



SPONSORSHIP. 



117 



which may be, and often have been, secured 
to families brought together by this tender 
relation, are by no means to be overlooked. 
Delightful friendships, cemented by this 
relation, may shed a halo of brightness over 
the lifetime of those who might otherwise 
have lived and died as strangers. The 
pleasant intellectual excitement elicited by 
the epistolary correspondence to which it 
gives rise, may awake to vigor and useful- 
ness faculties that would otherwise have 
remained dormant. And who that prop- 
erly appreciates even these temporal ad- 
vantages, would not adhere all the more 
religiously to that admirable feature of our 
Church, which is thus seen to be, like "god- 
liness" itself, "profitable unto all things, 
having promise of the life that now is, and 
of that which is to come ?" 

I had not supposed that any member of 
our own Church would for a moment con- 
sent to the abandonment or change of any 
existing feature of her sponsorial system. 
But it is not long since I saw, in one of our 
diocesan Church papers, an article advocat- 
ing the disuse of sponsors, other than par- 



n8 



SPONSORSHIP. 



ents, for the reason that the duties of spon- 
sorship are so generally neglected ! In 
reference to this singular argument I will 
say only this, that if e\ ery thing good were 
to be abandoned because very many, who 
profess to adhere to it, neglect or abuse it, 
even the Church itself would soon become 
a forgotten institution, and the world would 
be given up to the unchecked and unques- 
tioned sway of the evil one. 

Let us rather use our system faithfully, 
and thus demonstrate, to those who neglect 
or abuse it, the blessed advantages which 
the Church and the world are losing through 
their unfaithfulness. 



CHAPTER XII. 

THE DUTIES OF SPONSORSHIP, AND WHAT THE 
CHURCH HAS SUFFERED BY THEIR NEGLECT. 

The outlines of sponsorial duty ( as I 
have already hinted, and as every one, at all 
familiar with the Prayer Book, is well aware) 
are fully set forth in the Baptismal Office. 
In the closing "Exhortation to the God- 
fathers and Godmothers/' the minister 
employs these impressive words: "For- 
asmuch as this child hath promised by you 
his sureties, to renounce the devil and all 
his works, to believe in God, and to serve 
Him ; ye must remember that it is your 
parts and duties to see that this infant be 
taught, so soon as he shall be able to learn, 
what a solemn vow, promise, and profession, 
he hath here made by you. And that he 
may know these things the better, ye shall 
call upon him to hear sermons : And 

119 



120 



SPONSORSHIP. 



chiefly ye shall provide that he may learn 
the Creed, the Lord's Prayer, and the Ten 
Commandments, and all other things 
which a Christian ought to know and 
believe to his soul's health ; and that this 
child may be virtuously brought up to lead 
a Godly and a Christian life." 

And at the end of the Exhortation occurs 
this closing injunction: " Ye are to take 
care that this child be brought to the bish- 
op to be confirmed by him, so soon as he 
can say the Creed, the Lord's Prayer, and 
the Ten Commandments, and is sufficiently 
instructed in the other parts of the Church 
catechism set forth for that purpose." 

From these directions we learn that the 
sponsor's duties to his godchildren are em- 
braced under two general heads, viz : First, 
to teach them what the Christian religion 
is, both theoretically and practically; and, 
second, to persuade them to take upon 
themselves, when properly qualified, the 
religious promises which were made for 
them by others. And these duties devolve 
upon all the sponsors alike. If the parents 
stand, it may be their duty, as parents, to 



SPONSORSHIP. 



121 



do more than the others, since they have 
better opportunities; but it is no more 
their duty, as sponsors, than it is of the 
others. Each is bound, in honor and re- 
ligion, faithfully to do all he can toward 
securing for the baptized child the priceless 
advantages which baptism is designed to 
convey. It is a duty which no man can 
properly delegate to another ; any more 
than the duty of private or of public wor- 
ship, or of communicating with his Chris- 
tian brethren in the reception of the Holy 
Eucharist. 

That these duties are to a sad and even 
shameful extent neglected, is a fact of 
which no Churchman is ignorant. Profess- 
ing Christians — communicants of the Church 
— in numberless instances take upon them- 
selves the solemn obligation of sponsorship 
(which binds them to the performance of 
these duties,) as a mere matter of form. 
They keep no record either of the names 
or number of their godchildren. They 
make no effort to trace their removals from 
place to place, and so very soon lose sight 
of them altogether. A few children of 



122 



SPONSORSHIP. 



personal friends who remain in their neigh- 
borhood, or with whom they maintain a 
frequent correspondence, may be occasion- 
ally reminded of the relationship which 
exists, and of the duty which the Church 
has imposed upon both parties to that 
relationship. But even in such cases, how 
seldom is the tie which binds them re- 
garded by either party with any adequate 
degree of religious reverence or affectionate 
interest. Especially when (as is usually 
the case ) the parents also stand as spon- 
sors, the others, taking it for granted, per- 
haps, that the religous training of the chil- 
dren is sufficiently assured, think no more 
of the matter ; while the parents, trusting 
to the fidelity of Sunday-school teachers or 
pastors, or indulging, it may be, in a simi- 
lar thoughtlessness, neglect the solemn 
duty which not only the Church, but even 
nature herself, has made obligatory upon 
them. 

The results of this sad neglect are such as 
might reasonably have been anticipated. 
Many of the baptized children of the 
Church never come to confirmation at all; 



SPONSORSHIP. 



123 



but continue mere nominal Christians to the 
end of their days. Still more, perhaps, 
receive that holy ordinance with inadequate 
instruction and preparation, and conse- 
quently with an imperfect appreciation of 
the solemn duties which it imposes. Thus, 
out of the whole number of those who, in 
infancy, receive " the mystical washing away 
of sin " at the font, the ones who, by con- 
sistently leading "the rest of their life 
according to this beginning," give practical 
glory to God for that sacred cleansing, may 
not greatly exceed the ratio of the one in 
ten, who alone turned back to glorify God 
for the miraculous cure of his leprosy. And 
were Christ now to make his personal 
appearance on earth, the sad state of things 
existing in His Church might call forth 
from Him the same melancholy question 
which, on that occasion, He addressed to 
His disciples : "Were there not ten cleansed ? 
— but where are the nine?" 

But aside from its disastrous effects upon 
individual piety, this too common neglect 
inflicts, in many ways, a fearful detriment 
upon the Church at large. It gives a 



124 



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plausible pretext to the charge, so often 
made by those without, that the religion 
of the Episcopal Church is one of form 
alone. It gives practical force to the argu- 
ments of those who, in one way or another, 
have allied themselves with the greatest 
heresy of modern Christendom — viz: that 
infants are not proper subjects of Christ's 
kingdom on earth. For although, even if 
it were universally true, as is often alleged, 
that baptized children are no more likely to 
be consistent Christians in mature years, 
than those that remain unbaptized till then, 
the fact would have no logical force against 
a positive ordinance of Christ — such as in- 
fant baptism has been shown to be — yet 
men, in this practical age, will judge of 
systems, as of individuals, " by their fruits." 
And if we fail to furnish them with con- 
vincing, practical proof that baptized chil- 
dren are better off than others, we need not 
wonder if they pay very little heed even to 
the most logical arguments drawn from 
reason, revelation and ecclesiastical history.* 
It is because we have failed, in so lament- 



*Note B. — Page — 14Q 



SPONSORSHIP. 



125 



able a degree, to furnish the world with 
this convincing proof of the practical value 
of the leading feature of our Church's sys- 
tem, that her reputation stands at so low an 
ebb to-day, in many parts of our country. 
And it is owing to the same disastrous 
failure that the growth of her piety, thus 
poisoned at the root, is everywhere so sadly 
dwarfed and hindered ; that her prosperity 
is retarded ; that worldliness bears sway in 
so many of her congregations; that her 
charities and missions are so often over- 
shadowed by those of other religious bodies; 
and that her final occupation of the entire 
field in which Providence has cast her lot, 
is doubted if not despaired of, by many of 
her most faithful defenders. 



CHAPTER XIII. 

THE RESULTS WHICH WOULD FOLLOW THE 
UNIVERSAL PERFORMANCE OF SPONSORIAL 
DUTY. 

Let my readers imagine to themselves an 
agricultural district which was once rich and 
prosperous, and with every conceivable ad- 
vantage of soil and climate, but among 
whose landed proprietors universal thrift- 
lessness and neglect have for years pre- 
vailed. The general features of such a 
region it is easy to describe. The houses, 
barns, and fences everywhere present an ap- 
pearance of dilapidation and decay. Many 
of the fields are abandoned entirely to the 
growth of noxious vegetation, and the 
others, but half cultivated and poorly pro- 
tected from the wandering, unfed cattle, 
are even more dreary and unsightly than 
the former. Implements of husbandry, of 
ingenious pattern, it may be, and of great 

original cost, lie rotting and unused in the 

126 



SPONSORSHIP. 



127 



fields and by the road-sides. The mills 
and shops which, in more prosperous times, 
were vocal with the sounds of industry, are 
most of them silent, and many of them in 
ruins. Every home is as sombre within as 
it is without; and every garden and door- 
yard is but an epitome of the general deso- 
lation which broods over the entire land- 
scape. 

What has produced these disastrous re- 
sults? Simply the habitual neglect of cul- 
ture in its season. What would restore to 
such a district all its former beauty and 
prosperity ? A return to the universal prac- 
tice of industry in the cultivation of the 
soil. And in these respects such an agri- 
cultural region is the natural analogue of 
the Church. Neglect of Christian culture 
in that season when the growth of spiritual 
graces in the soul can be most successfully 
fostered, is the cause (as we have seen) of 
the principal discouragements under which 
the Church at present labors. And as a 
careful and judicious husbandry will soon 
give a face of blooming beauty to a land- 
scape made dreary by neglect ; so the uni- 



128 



SPONSORSHIP. 



versal and complete performance of spon- 
sorial duty, in the Christian nurture of the 
young, would soon cause the " waste places" 
of our Zion to " rejoice and blossom as the 
rose." 

We have the unfailing promise of God, 
that if we train up our children in the way 
they should go, they will not depart from 
it when they are old. The way they should 
go is found only in the Church of Christ. 
To train them up in that way is so to in- 
struct them in the performance of Chris- 
tian duties and in the exercise of Christian 
affections — so to screen them from tempta- 
tions and surround them with holy influ- 
ences — that, during all the years of their 
tutelage, they will remain faithful to their 
calling as young soldiers of Christ. It must 
be possible so to train them, since God 
could not mock us with a promise based 
upon impossible conditions. Hence all 
baptized children, if sponsorial duty were 
fully performed, would continue to the end 
of their days consistent and faithful mem- 
bers of the Church — devoting themselves 
with all their powers, both moral and ma- 



SPONSORSHIP. 



129 



terial, to the service of their divine Master, 
O. what a power in the world — ' * terrible 
as an army with banners " — would the mil- 
itant Church then become! Going forth 
from conquest to conquest, with no further 
need to expend her divine energies in the 
subjugation of internal foes, and no longer 
hindered by the dead weight of apathetic 
friends, she would find her complete tri- 
umph over the combined hosts of earth 
and hell, an easy and speedy achievement. 
The powers of darkness would vanish be- 
fore the advancing legions of light, and the 
glory of the millennial day would dawn 
upon the long-expectant world. 

If any consider this picture Utopian, and 
insist that the perfect obedience which 
alone could realize it, cannot be looked for 
or hoped for, while the evil " infection of 
nature doth remain, yea in them that are 
regenerated" — I reply, that if a man does 
not endeavor in good faith to keep the prom- 
ises which he has made to God, I do not 
see how he can claim to be a true Christian 
at all. Granted that neither the perfect 
obedience of one, nor the imperfect obedi- 



130 



SPONSORSHIP. 



ence of all, can realize this picture, yet 
every approach toward perfect obedience, 
in all, or in one, will be an approach toward 
its realization. And every Christian who 
honestly prays "Thy kingdom come," 
will strive to secure an answer to his prayer 
by those works of obedience which alone 
can render it effectual. None, perhaps, 
can be perfect, but all may and should be 
honest ; and simple honesty in the keeping 
of sponsorial promises would, in a few years, 
if universally observed, effect a change in 
the condition of the Church, of which the 
picture that I have attempted to draw would 
prove to be hardly an exaggeration. 

As he who violates one of the com- 
mandments " is guilty of all," ( because he 
becomes subject to the spirit of disobedience 
which would lead him to violate all, in case 
of temptation) so he who performs one 
religious duty faithfully, gives the best pos- 
sible pledge that he will be faithful to the 
whole circle of Christian obligations. He, 
therefore, who is true to his duty as a spon- 
sor, may be relied upon for equal fidelity 
in all the other relations of the Christian 



SPONSORSHIP. 



131 



life. With such a man, religion will be 
the chief concern, the one interest that ab- 
sorbs all others. His worldly occupations, 
and even his amusements, will be regarded 
as means for promoting the glory of God. 
His private and domestic devotions will 
never be remitted; and his place in the 
public sanctuary will never be vacant, 
except upon the demand of some more 
imperative obligation. His sympathy will 
never be withheld from the sorrowing, nor 
his words of counsel and warning from the 
erring, who come within the sphere of his 
influence. Acknowledging God as the 
giver and rightful proprietor of his worldly 
possessions, he will consecrate them all to 
Him ; and will apportion his gains among 
the various objects of public and private 
charity, according to a conscientious esti- 
mate of his ability, and the relative claims 
of each. 

A parish Church, made up of members 
like this, would of course be characterized 
by a rapid growth, by abounding pros- 
perity, spiritual and temporal, and by a 
rapidly increasing influence for good 



132 



SPONSORSHIP. 



throughout the entire community. And if 
the Church at large were composed wholly 
of such members, the moral revolutions 
which would speedily be wrought through 
her instrumentality, would be such as the 
most vivid imagination could scarcely exag- 
gerate. It is true that not all members of 
the Church are sponsors; but so large a 
proportion of them are, that no abatement 
from this estimate need be made on that 
account. 

Such results, therefore, direct and indi- 
rect, might reasonably be anticipated from 
the universal performance of sponsorial 
duty. The Christian who acts from princi- 
ple instead of fashion, will do all in his 
power to secure these results even though 
the most that can be done by any individual, 
may be but as a drop compared with the 
ocean. 



CHAPTER XIV. 

PRACTICAL SUGGESTIONS TO SPONSORS. 

No religious duty will be faithfully and 
efficiently performed unless the grounds up- 
on which it rests be intelligently under- 
stood, and its performance be made a mat- 
ter of conscience. The first practical sug- 
gestion to sponsors, therefore, is to make 
the relation they have assumed the subject 
both of study and of prayer. Let them 
resolve at the outset that they will be 
thoroughly honest before God, in this all- 
important matter — that they will not take 
upon themselves this solemn relation for 
the sake of form alone, nor discharge its 
duties in the careless, ineffectual manner 
which we have seen to be so common, and 
so disgraceful. As it is insincerity which 
vitiates the practical working of our spon- 

sorial system, so this attitude of honesty, 

133 



134 



SPONSORSHIP. 



resolutely taken and consistently main- 
tained, would of itself restore to that sys- 
tem its original virtue, and render the 
Church once more the invincible power 
which the world felt and acknowledged in 
the first and purest ages of her history. 

But no Christians have a right to indulge 
that morbid conscientiousness, which would 
prompt them to refuse to become sponsors 
from the apprehension, that they may not 
prove true to their obligations. If a spon- 
sor has already a large number of godchil- 
dren, and is called upon to add one more 
to the list, it may be proper for him to 
suggest another person for the office ; but if 
no other suitable one can be found, he has 
no right, for any such cause, to decline the 
duty. The Baptismal Office properly calls 
the assumption of this relation a "chark 
table work;" and as a man would justly b* 
called something worse than uncharitable, 
who should allow a foundling to perish at his 
door, upon the plea that he already had as 
many children as he could provide for ; so 
the Christian would at least be sadly want- 
ing in Christian charity, who, for a similar 



SPONSORSHIP. 



135 



reason, should refuse to adopt another in- 
fant member of Christ, into his family of 
godchildren. 

The relationship once assumed, the con- 
scientious sponsor will adopt and carry out 
a regular system for the performance of its 
duties. This will require that a record be 
kept of at least the names of his godchil- 
dren, and of their removals from place to 
place, in order that he may not lose sight 
of them, and so be prevented even from 
showing a friendly interest in their religious 
welfare. The latter part of the present 
volume consists of a register, designed to 
facilitate the keeping of such a record. The 
very act of keeping it will serve to awaken 
and perpetuate in the mind of the sponsor 
an interest in his godchildren, and suggest 
methods by which he can serve them. Let 
this register be religiously kept — every 
entry being made as soon as possible after 
the occurrence of the event or fact to be 
recorded. This of course will require a 
little time and attention ; but if religion is 
to be made the business of life (as it must 
be, if we would make it more than a 



136 



SPONSORSHIP. 



mockery), it ought surely to be attended to 
in a business-like manner. And how can a 
Christian, who does not think so small a 
transaction as the sale of a yard of calico, 
unworthy of a place in his day-book and 
ledger, consider it irksome or burdensome 
to keep such a record of the principal facts 
in the religious life of his godchildren, as 
will assist him in performing faithfully and 
profitably the obligations which he has as- 
sumed in their behalf? 

As soon as the child " shall be able to 
learn/' it is the duty of each of his sponsors 
" to see that he be taught." If his parents 
are remiss, they too should be reminded of 
their duty : And there should be con- 
stantly kept up between the parents and the 
other sponsors a friendly understanding, 
that they may aid each other in securing 
for the child the greatest possible amount 
of religious benefit. If the sponsor and 
his godchildren remain in the same neigh- 
borhood, the former should lose no oppor- 
tunity of cultivating with the latter an af- 
fectionate intimacy. He should see them 
as often as possible, and manifest a lively 



SPONSORSHIP. 



137 



interest in their welfare, physical, moral and 
intellectual, as well as spiritual. He should 
examine them as often as possible in the 
Church catechism, and such other manuals 
of religious instruction as may be placed in 
their hands. He should (if possible) mark 
every anniversary of their baptism, as well 
as every Christmas-day, by the bestowal of 
some friendly remembrancer — giving the 
preference to such religious books as are 
suited to their capacity. He should often 
remind them that they are members of the 
Church — Christians already, by a solemn 
act whose authority they can never shake 
off — that they should regard the baptis- 
mal covenant not only as solemnly binding 
upon their consciences, but as honorable 
and profitable beyond all computation — 
that they ought to keep its complement, 
confirmation, steadily in view, and that he 
(the sponsor) could not divest himself of a 
painful sense of responsibility for their 
remissness, should they postpone that sacred 
ordinance beyond the proper time for its 
reception, by failing to be prepared for it. 
Few indeed would be the cases in which 



138 



SPONSORSHIP. 



the manifestation of such a pious interest 
as this, in the welfare of godchildren, 
would not result in the development of 
early piety, and the formation of a vigorous 
Christian character. 

If the sponsor and his godchildren are 
separated by their removal or his own, he 
should still manifest toward them, by every 
means in his power, an affectionate Chris- 
tian sympathy. After they become old 
enough to appreciate such attentions, once 
a year will not be too often to send them 
some token of rememberance by mail, 
accompanied by a few words of Christian 
counsel. They should also be encouraged 
to reciprocate these friendly attentions by 
occasional letters, asking advice whenever 
they desire it, and giving a frank and famil- 
iar account of the results which may have 
followed thus far their endeavors to live 
the Christian life. 

If the parents or guardians are them- 
selves consistent members of the Church, 
and conscientiously doing all in their power 
toward the religous education of their chil- 
dren, the sponsor, while rejoicing in such 



SPONSORSHIP. 



139 



powerful auxiliaries to his own pious en- 
deavors, will not on that account abate one 
iota of his effort to acquire and maintain a 
direct personal influence for good over the 
minds of his godchildren. But if, on the 
contrary, those upon whom nature has 
placed the chief responsibility of infant cult- 
ure, are ignorant or regardless of that sacred 
obligation, the sponsor (as just now hinted) 
should add to all that he may be able to do 
for the children, an earnest endeavor to 
arouse the parents also to a sense of their 
solemn duty. If they remain careless and 
indifferent, he may not be able, with the 
limited opportunities at his command, to 
train up his godchildren fully "in the way 
they should go ;" and consequently he may 
not have the confident assurance which the 
Scripture would otherwise warrant, that 
they * ' will not depart from it when they 
are old." , If, however, he is faithful to his 
trust, he may still cherish the reasonable 
hope that his fidelity, blest by God's provi- 
dence and the Holy Spirit, may be the 
means of their steadfast continuance in the 
Christian course. But whatever may be its 



I40 



SPONSORSHIP. 



effect upon others, that fidelity cannot fail 
to secure for his own soul the blessed 
rewards of obedience, both in this world 
and in that which is to come. 

Although my remarks, throughout this 
manual, have the appearance of being de- 
signed especially for godfathers, yet it must 
be sufficiently obvious to all that they are 
equally appropriate for godmothers. The 
latter, indeed, since they usually have more 
leisure, will perhaps find less inconvenience 
than the former, in carrying out the pro- 
posed system. I have only one suggestion 
for them especially, and that is not to 
neglect their godsons, under the impres- 
sion that it is the peculiar duty of the god- 
fathers to watch over them. Sponsors are 
bound to be faithful to all their godchil- 
dren alike ; but many boys and young men 
will be found accessible to the religious 
influences exerted by pious and affectionate 
godmothers, when no other would be 
likely to reach them. Sponsors should 
carefully study the individual dispositions 
of their godchildren, of both sexes ; and 
exercise a just discrimination in regard to 



SPONSORSHIP. 



141 



the times, places, occasions, and methods 
of seeking to produce upon their minds per- 
manent religious impressions. In no other 
human undertaking is the wisdom of the 
serpent, as well as the harmlessness of the 
dove, more important than in the perform- 
ance of the sponsorial duty. 



Prayers for the Use of Sponsors. 



i. 

A General Prayer to be used by Sponsors for 
Themselves and their Godchildren. 

O Lord Jesus Christ, who, through the authority of Thy 
Church, hast appointed the office of sponsorship for the 
spiritual care and nurture of the lambs of Thy flock, grant, I 
beseech Thee, to all those who have been entrusted with this 
sacred office, the abundance of Thy grace, that they may 
perform the duties which it devolves upon them, in Thy fear 
and to Thy glory. And especially to me, Thy unworthy ser- 
vant, give wisdom and strength from on high, to guide and 
assist me in the responsible task which I have undertaken in 
Thy name. In laboring both for the temporal and spiritual 
welfare of my godchildren, make me patient, earnest, and 
sympathetic, that I may win their love, and secure that influ- 
ence over their minds which shall predispose them to receive 
the intended benefit. Make me apt in Leaching, and exem- 
plary in conduct; and give them ductile hearts and teachable 
minds, that they may follow those lessons and examples 
which are adapted to make them wiser and better. Preserve 
them in bodily health, and guard them from temptation. 
Grant them continually Thy Holy Spirit that they may early 
take upon themselves the vows which their sponsors made 
for them in baptism, and live thenceforward in the taithful 

143 



144 



PRAYERS. 



performance of the same. Give them such success in their 
worldly callings as shall be most conducive to their spiritual 
good. Make them zealous, devoted, and conscientious, as 
Christians, and active, influential and useful as citizens, and 
may all of us, sponsors and godchildren together, so accept- 
ably serve Thee in this life that, in the world to come, we 
may have life everlasting. 

Grant this, O Blessed Saviour, who with the Father and 
the Holy Ghost ever livest and reignest one God, world 
without end. Amen. 



II. 

For a Godchild who has Become Wayward, and 
Irreligious. 

O Blessed Spirit, through whose gracious influences alone 
the human soul can be regenerated, sanctified and saved 
forever, descend, I pray Thee, as a quickening and 
awakening Power upon the conscience of the way- 
ward youth for whom, in the sacrament of baptism, 
I stood as sponsor; but who, through the seductive 
wiles of the devil, and the frowardness of his own evil nature, 
has abandoned the grace pledged in that holy ordinance, 
and repudiated his spiritual birthright. Open the eyes of 
his understanding that he may see the error of his 
ways; and arouse his moral sense, that he may appreciate 
the terrors of the violated law. 

When the thunders of Sinai have duly alarmed his fears, 
let the melting tones of the Crucified on Calvary restore to 
him the comfort of love and the assurance of hope. May 
the promised reward stimulate him to obedience, and the 
threatened penalty keep him back from further transgression. 
Create in him a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit 



PRAYERS. 



145 



within him. Give hi??i unfeigned repentance for all that is 
past, and assist him in the making and keeping of virtuous 
resolutions for the future. And so guide, guard, and govern 
him henceforth that he may continue to walk in the ways of 
truth and peace, and finally be numbered with Thy saints in 
glory everlasting. 

Grant this, O Blessed Spirit, to whom with the Father and 
the Son, the Triune God, be ascribed all power, glory, and 
dominion for ever and ever. Amen. 



III. 

For a Godchild who is Sick. 
[From the Prayer Book.] 

Almighty God, and merciful Father, to whom alone belong 
the issues of life and death, look down from Heaven, we 
humbly beseech Thee, with the eyes of mercy, upon the sick 
child for whom our prayers are desired. Deliver him, O 
Lord, in Thy good appointed time, from his bodily pain, and 
visit him with Thy salvation; that if it should be Thy good 
pleasure to prolong his days here on earth, he may live to 
Thee, and be an instrument of Thy glory, by serving Thee 
faithfully, and doing good in his generation. Or else receive 
him into those heavenly habitations, where the souls of those 
who sleep in the Lord Jesus enjoy perpetual rest and felicity. 

Grant this, O Lord, for the love of Thy Son, our Saviour,. 
Jesus Christ. Amen. 



IV. 

For a Godchild Under Affliction. 
[From the Prayer Book.] 
O merciful God, and Heavenly Father, who hast taught us 



146 



PRAYERS. 



in Thy Holy Word that Thou dost not willingly afflict or 
grieve the children of men, look with pity, we beseech Thee, 
upon the sorrows of Thy servant for whom our prayers are 
desired. In Thy wisdom Thou hast seen fit to visit him with 
trouble, and to bring distress upon him. Remember him, O 
Lord, in mercy; sanctify Thy fatherly correction to him\ 
endue his soul with patience under his affliction, and with 
resignation to Thy blessed will; comfort him with a sense 
of Thy goodness; lift up Thy countenance upon him, and 
give him peace; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. 



THANKSGIVINGS. 



L 

For a Godchild's Recovery from Sickness. 
[From the Prayer Book — with changes and additions.] 

O God, who art the Giver of life, of health, fand^of safety, I 
bless Thy name that Thou hast been pleased to deliver from 
his bodily sickness, my dear godchild, on whose Dehalf I 
desire now to return thanks unto Thee. Gracious art Thou, 
O Lord, and full of compassion to the children of men. May 
his parents and sponsors be duly impressed with a sense of 
Thy merciful goodness; and may they have grace so to bring 
him up in Thy fear and love, that he may devote the residue 
of his days to an humble, holy, and obedient walking before 
Thee, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. 



PRAYERS. 



147 



II. 

After the Confirmation of a Godchild. 

I give Thee hearty thanks, most merciful Father, that it 
hath pleased Thee through countless dangers to preserve the 
life of my beloved godchild, and through as countless temp- 
tations to keep him from falling permanently under the power 
of the Evil One. 1 thank Thee for even the little that I may 
have accomplished in furthering this blessed result; and for 
Thy abounding grace, which has prevented the much that I 
have left undone from countervailing the good Influences by 
which Thou hast surrounded him. 

I bless Thee especially that, with a mind stored with 
Christian knowledge, and a heart imbued with Christian 
graces, he has been led to take upon himself tins vows which 
his sponsors made for him at the baptismal font. And I 
humbly beseech Thee that, through all his future life on 
earth, he may still be surrounded by the same blessed influ- 
ences that have guarded him hitherto; and that when his life- 
long struggle with earthly temptation is over, he may be ad- 
mitted to the rest and felicity of Thy Heavenly Kingdom, 
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. 



NOTES. 



A. 

Chapter II, page 33. I am aware that when the old cov- 
enant is contrasted with the new, it is common to understand 
by the former, the "Covenant of Works, " proclaimed from 
Sinai, and by the latter, the "Covenant of Grace," revealed 
in Christ Jesus. But this is a metaphorical use of t he word 
covenant, whereby it is made to imply a system of religious 
principles and rites, under which God dispenses his blessings 
to men. In this sense there have been three "Covenants," 
or " Dispensations" — the Patriarchal, the Mosaic, and the 
Christian. But in the sense of a compact between God and 
individual men, there have been but two covenants, or more 
strictly, one under two forms. The first ( which was first 
definitely proposed to Abraham) was a pledge of the believ- 
er's faith in a Saviour to come; the second, in a Saviour 
already having come and offered Himself for the sins of the 
world. 

It maybe that the prophets, in speaking of the "New 
Covenant," refer primarily to the Christian dispensation. 
But this idea is by no means inconsistent with the view above 
set forth. 

B. 

Chapter XII, page 124. If any one should say that, ac- 
cording to this showing, infant baptism is wholly inoperative 

149 



NOTES. 



without Christian training; 1 reply, that so is planting with- 
out watering — and that the farmer who should refuse to plant 
because he thinks he can raise just as good a crop by water- 
ing only, would act quite as reasonably as he who should 
refuse to have his child baptized because baptism without nur- 
ture produces no fruit. 

Should any rejoin that these cases are not parallel, since 
men do become Christians without being baptized in infancy, 
I reply again, that men do not, strictly speaking, become 
Christians, (or "members of Christ ') at all, without bap- 
tism; and that to defer this ordinance until mature years for 
the sake of giving a Christian education first, would be just 
as absurd as to defer planting until midsummer, m order to 
prepare for the seed which requires the entire season to assure 
a plentiful harvest. 



REGISTER, 



I 



REGISTER. 
Number. 

Name and Age of Child 

When and by whom Baptized. 

Parents- 
Sponsors. 



When and by whom Confirmed. 
Residence and Removals. 



Remarks. 



153 



REGISTER. 
Number. 

Name and Age of Child. 

When and by whom Baptized. 

Parents. 

Sponsors. 



When and by whom Confirmed. 
Residence and Removals. 



Remarks. 



REGISTER. 
Number. 

Name and Age of Child. 

When and by whom Baptized. 

Parents. 

Sponsors. 

When and by whom Confirmed. 
Residence and Removals. 

Remarks. 



REGISTER. 
Number. 

Name and Age of Child. 

When and by whom Baptized. 

Parents. 

Sponsors. 

When and by whom Confirmed. 
Residence and Removals. 

Remarks. 



REGISTER. 
Number. 

Name and Age of Child. 

When and by whom Baptized. 

Parents. 

Sponsors. 



When and by whom Confirmed. 
Residence and Removals. 



Remarks. 



REGISTER. 
Number. 

Name and Age of Child. 

When and by whom Baptized 

Parents. 

Sponsors. 

When and by whom Confirmed. 
Residence and Removals. 

Remarks, 



REGISTER. 
Number. 

Name and Age of Child. 

When and by whom Baptized. 

Parents. 
Sponsors. 

When and by whom Confirmed. 
Residence and Removals. 



Remarks. 



REGISTER. 
Number. 

Name and Age of Child. 

When and by whom Baptized 

Parents. 

Sponsors. 

When and by whom Confirmed, 
Residence and Removals. 



Remarks, 



REGISTER. 
Number. 

Name and Age of Child. 

When and by whom Baptized. 

Parents. 

Sponsors. 



When and by whom Confirmed. 
Residence and Removals, 



Remarks, 



REGISTER. 
Number. 

Name and Age of Child. 

When and by whom Baptized. 

Parents. 

Sponsors. 

When and by whom Confirmed. 
Residence and Removals. 

Remarks. 



REGISTER. 
Number. 

Name and Age of Child. 

When and by whom Baptized. 

Parents. 

Sponsors. 



When and by whom Confirmed. 
Residence and Removals. 



Remarks. 



REGISTER. 
Number. 

Name and Age of Child. 

When and by whom Baptized. 

Parents. 

Sponsors. 

When and by whom Confirmed. 
Residence and Removals. 

Remarks. 



REGISTER. 
Number. 

Name and Age of Child. 

When and by whom Baptized, 

Parents. 
Sponsors. 

When and by whom Confirmed. 
Residence and Removals. 

Remarks. 



REGISTER. 
Number. 

Name and Age of Child. 

When and by whom Baptized. 

Parents. 

Sponsors. 



When and by whom Confirmed. 
Residence and Removals. 



Remarks. 



REGISTER. 
Number. 

Name and Age of Child. 

When and by whom Baptized. 

Parents. 

Sponsors. 

When and by whom Confirmed. 
Residence and Removals. 



Remarks. 



REGISTER. 
Number. 

Name and Age of Child. 

When and by whom Baptized. 

Parents. 

Sponsors. 

When and by whom Confirmed. 
Residence and Removals. 

Remarks. 



REGISTER. 
Number. 

Name and Age of Child. 

When and by whom Baptized. 

Parents. 

Sponsors. 

When and by whom Confirmed. 
Residence and Removals. 



Remarks. 



REGISTER. 
Number. 

Name and Age of Child. 

When and by whom Baptized. 

Parents. 

Sponsors. 

When and by whom Confirmed. 
Residence and Removals. 



Remarks. 



REGISTER. 
Number. 

Name and Age of Child. 

When and by whom Baptized. 

Parents. 

Sponsors. 

When and by whom Confirmed. 
Residence and Removals. 



Remarks. 



REGISTER. 
Number. 

Name and Age of Child. 

When and by whom Baptized. 

Parents. 

Sponsors. 



When and by whom Confirmed. 
Residence and Removals. 



Remarks. 



REGISTER. 
Number. 

Name and Age of Child. 

When and by whom Baptized. 

Parents. 

Sponsors. 

When and by whom Confirmed. 
Residence and Removals. 



Remarks. 



REGISTER. 
Number. 

Name and Age of Child. 

When and by whom Baptized 

Parents. 

Sponsors. 



When and by whom Confirmed. 
Residence and Removals. 



Remarks. 



REGISTER. 
Number. 

Name and Age of Child. 

When and by whom Baptized. 

Parents. 
Sponsors. 

When and by whom Confirmed. 
Residence and Removals. 



Remarks. 



REGISTER. 
Number. 

Name and Age of Child. 

When and by whom Baptized 

Parents. 

Sponsors. 

When and by whom Confirmed. 
Residence and Removals, 

Remarks, 



REGISTER. 
Number. 

Name and Age of Child. 

When and by whom Baptized. 

Parents. 

Sponsors. 



When and by whom Confirmed. 
Residence and Removals. 



Remarks. 



REGISTER. 
Number. 

Name and Age of Child. 

When and by whom Baptized. 

Parents. 

Sponsors. 

When and by whom Confirmed. 
Residence and Removals. 



Remarks. 



REGISTER. 
Number. 

Name and Age of Child. 

When and by whom Baptized. 

Parents. 

Sponsors. 

When and by whom Confirmed. 
Residence and Removals, 



Remarks, 



ISO REGISTER. 

Number. 

Name and A?e of Child. 

When and by whom Baptized. 

Parents. 
Sponsors. 

When and by whom Confirmed. 
Residence and Removals. 

Remarks. 



REGISTER. 
Number. 

Name and Age of Child. 

When and by whom Baptized. 

Parents. 

Sponsors. 

When and by whom Confirmed. 
Residence and Removals. 



Remarks. 



REGISTER. 
Number. 

Name and Age of Child. 

When and by whom Baptized. 

Parents. 

Sponsors. 

When and by whom Confirmed. 
Residence and Removals. 



Remarks. 



REGISTER. 
Number. 

Name and Age of Child. 

When and by whom Baptized. 

Parents. 

Sponsors. 



When and by whom Confirmed. 
Residence and Removals. 



Remarks. 



REGISTER. 
Number. 

Name and Age" of Child. 

When and by whom Baptized. 

Parents. 

Sponsors. 

m 

When and by whom Confirmed. 
Residence and Removals. 



Remarks. 



REGISTER. 
Number. 

Name and Age of Child. 

When and by whom Baptized. 

Parents. 

Sponsors. 



When and by whom Confirmed. 
Residence and Removals. 



Remarks. 



REGISTER. 
Number. 

Name and Age of Child. 

When and by whom Baptized. 

Parents. 

Sponsors. 



When and by whom Confirmed. 
Residence and Removals. 



Remarks. 



REGISTER. 
Number. 

Name and Age of Child. 

When and by whom Baptized. 

Parents. 

Sponsors. 

When and by whom Confirmed. 
Residence and Removals. 

Remarks. 



REGISTER. 
Number. 

Name and Age of Child. 

When and by whom Baptized. 

Parents. 

Sponsors. 



When and by whom Confirmed. 
Residence and Removals. 



Remarks. 



REGISTER. 189 
Number. 

Name and Age of Child. 

When and by whom Baptized. 

Parents. 
Sponsors. 



When and by whom Confirmed. 
Residence and Removals. 



Remarks. 



REGISTER. 
Number. 

Name and Age of Child. 

When and by whom Baptized 

Parents. 

Sponsors. 



When and by whom Confirmed. 
Residence and Removals. 



Remarks. 



REGISTER. I9I 
Number. 

Name and Age of Child. 

When and by whom Baptized. 

Parents. 
Sponsors. 



When and by whom Confirmed. 
Residence and Removals. 



Remarks. 



REGISTER. 
Number. 

Name and Age of Child. 

When and by whom Baptized 

Parents. 

Sponsors. 

When and by whom Confirmed. 
Residence and Removals. 

Remarks. 



REGISTER. 
Number. 

Name and Age of Child. 

When and by whom Baptized. 

Parents. 

Sponsors. 



When and by whom Confirmed. 
Residence and Removals. 



Remarks. 



REGISTER. 
Number. 

Name and Age of Child. 

When and by whom Baptized. 

Parents. 

Sponsors. 



When and by whom Confirmed. 
Residence and Removals. 



Remarks, 



REGISTER. I95 
Number. 

Name and Age of Child. 

When and by whom Baptized. 

Parents. 

Sponsors. 



When and by whom Confirmed. 
Residence and Removals, 



Remarks. 



REGISTER. 
Number. 

Name and Age of Child. 

When and by whom Baptized. 

Parents. 
Sponsors. 

When and by whom Confirmed. 
Residence and Removals. 



Remarks. 



REGISTER. 
Number. 

Name and Age of Child. 

When and by whom Baptized. 

Parents. 

Sponsors. 



When and by whom Confirmed. 
Residence and Removals. 



Remarks. 



REGISTER. 
Number. 

Name and Age of Child. 

When and by whom Baptized. 

Parents. 

Sponsors. 



When and by whom Confirmed. 
Residence and Removals. 



Remarks. 



REGISTER. 
Number. 

Name and Age of Child. 

When and by whom Baptized. 

Parents. 

Sponsors. 

When and by whom Confirmed. 
Residence and Removals. 

Remarks. 



200 REGISTER. 

Number. 

Name and Age of Child. 



When and by whom Baptized. 
Parents. 
Sponsors. 



When and by whom Confirmed. 



Residence and Removals. 



Remarks. 



INDEX TO REGISTER, 



INDEX. 203 



204 INDEX. 



NAME. 



PAGE. 



INDEX 



205 



NAME. 



PAGE. 



206 INDEX. 



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